Harry Potter and the Siren's Song
by hermyd
Summary: When Lily's secret is revealed Harry runs away from home and meets a girl unlike any other. But she can never be with him, and he would never even suggest it. Things change drastically when his mother's legacy turns him into something no one expected.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is made with characters that are not mine, but belong to the all amazing and wonderful JKR. I thank her for the ability to play around with them. In addition, the decision to pair Harry and Daphne is due to the amazing story with that pairing written by kb0, one of my favourite authors.

A/N: This story is a creature Harry story, and the nature of his... change means that he becomes highly sexual. I tried to walk the delicate balance between describing enough for you to know what was going on without being lewd, but I'm not sure how I will do at that. While there are descriptions, I tried to keep them not to detailed or prolonged. However, there are a lot of sexual encounters in this story, so please do not read it if you are not of age or do not like such things.

* * *

July 17, 1823

Delia Mellas shivered in the cold air. She didn't know how she would ever grow to like the frigid air of England. If it weren't for the fact that the old magician of her village had told her she would find her true mate here, she would gladly step back on the ship and leave immediately. But she couldn't. She had been a Siren for nearly a year now, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to function without a mate. She had had many offers to mate, from powerful and well respected wizards in her native Greece, but she wanted to find the one that was truly meant for her. She didn't know much about the magic users of England, but she had been told that they had long been persecuted by the common people. This worried her. Did they even know of Sirens here? How would they treat her?

Perhaps it would be best if no one knew what she was. Except her mate, of course.

She wandered down the streets of Harwich, her large green eyes wide as she looked around. Things were so different here. Not knowing the magical regulations in place, she didn't want to risk using any of her magic, but this left her woefully ignorant of how to survive.

She wandered long into the night before finally curling up to sleep beneath a large tree.

Delia woke up to a gently swaying motion. Looking up, she found that a man was carrying her gently. She couldn't see his features in the dark, but she could tell by the ease with which he carried her that he was strong and young. But that didn't prevent her scream of surprise.

He didn't stop walking. "Shh, beautiful one," he whispered with a warm tone. "I mean you no harm."

"Who is you?" She asked in broken English. "And wheres you take me?"

"I'm taking you to my home. It can't be safe for a pretty thing like you to be asleep out in the forest, and my mother would have me hanged if I left you to be harmed." She smiled to herself. She liked the love in his voice as he spoke of his mother. Her Giagiá had always told her that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother. "And my name is Edward Harris. What's yours?"

"Delia," she said softly.

"Where did you come from, beautiful Delia?"

"Greece. I come on boat today."

"Hmm, you'll have to tell me that story in the morning, after you get some sleep."

Still carrying her, Edward stepped into the light of a lit street torch, and Delia gasped.

It was him.

* * *

January 31, 1977

James was still staring at her in awe, and she blushed under his gaze. He didn't seem to have fully realised the fact that she had changed her mind about him, despite everything that had happened in the last day. His hand kept coming up to trace her cheek, or the curve of her waist, or her bare shoulder. She giggled when his fascination moved to her toes.

"James!"

"I just can't get over how perfect you are. And that you're mine."

She laughed. "Yes, I was rather shocked by that myself."

He looked up, carefully guarded. "And are you okay with that?"

She smiled softly at his worry. "Yes. I really haven't hated you much this year at all, you know. I was just keeping up pretences."

He grinned wryly. "Something which I probably deserved."

Her hand came up to cup his cheek. "Don't say that. You've grown up."

"For you." He added, sincerely.

"I know." She leaned into his hold. After several minutes of quiet, she spoke again. "I don't want to tell anyone, James."

He pulled back so that he could see her face. "Why not?"

"I don't want them to treat me differently. I don't want to deal with all the attention. But, most of all, I don't want to give Voldemort a reason to come after us."

James stiffened against her at the name. "He can't take you away from me."

"No. But I don't want him to even try."

He looked down at her with anxiety in his hazel eyes. "You won't to hide us?"

"No, of course not. Just the Siren part."

He sighed in relief. "Okay, I can understand that. But what about... don't you need fairly regular physical contact? Professor McGonagall will never allow that."

She giggled. "Well, we'll just make sure she doesn't find out." He looked down at her curiously. "I'm sure the Marauders can handle sneaking a girl up into the boy's dorm every night. And you must know of secret places in the castle we can meet during the day."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Plenty. And I can loan you my Dad's invisibility cloak to help you get up, and we have a special map that should help us sneak around. Sirius and Remus won't mind running interference for us."

"And Peter?"

He hesitated. "He's not the best about being discrete. It might be best if we don't tell him anything is going on until after school gets out. Or even then, really."

"Okay. Do you want to tell Sirius and Remus about me being a Siren?"

He looked down at her. "No. Just us, love. They know how I feel about you; they'll just assume I'm the one who is insatiable."

She grinned and threaded her hands through his messy hair, pulling his head down to her. They were going to have to head back to school soon, before anyone noticed they were missing. She had claimed to be ill last night, and so hadn't been expected today, but she knew one of her roommates were sure to come looking for her soon, and she wanted to make the most of their remaining time.

* * *

Present day:

Harry Potter was fed up with life. He had been in a numb daze for nearly two weeks, ever since his godfather, Sirius Black, had fallen through the veil of death to never return. But that wasn't the worst of it. Albus Dumbledore, the self-proclaimed leader of the light, had pulled him away immediately after and told him of the prophecy that decreed that only he had a hope of defeating Voldemort. It was not a very pleasant destiny to have to live with, and Harry had been sent back to his own personal hell on earth to deal with it on his own. Thus it should come as no shock that he was having a bit of a difficult time dealing with his life right now. Added to all his other problems, he had arrived back at the Dursleys' home to be treated to a lovely 'welcome home' present in the form of Dudley using him as his own personal punching bag for several hours. Harry hadn't even tried to fight back; he simply had stopped caring at this point.

Apathy made the world so much easier to deal with, he thought.

His emotions had been out of whack for over a year now, anyway, and he could never seem to get a handle on them. He had had various conversations with Hermione about this, and despite her numerous pep talks about learning to control himself, he always felt like he was lacking the key that would enable him to do so. It was only recently that he had given up trying to fight himself and simply slipped into not caring.

All of this changed on the morning of July 16.

Harry had been receiving daily owls from him friends. Ron had written constantly about the happenings at the Burrow and the most recent Chudley Cannons game. Each letter also contained a rant about how much he hated and didn't trust Dean Thomas (and although Harry new the reason from this, it still surprised him, as Ron had gotten along better with Dean than any of their other roommates). He also spent many a letter soliloquising about Hermione and whether or not she was going to visit Victor Krum this summer. Harry rolled his eyes every time he read another of these letters. He felt for Ron, he really did. It couldn't be easy to think the girl you fancied liked another bloke. But Harry knew that Ron had nothing to worry about where Krum was concerned. Harry just hoped his best mate got up the courage to ask Hermione out soon; he thought they were quite perfect for each other. And maybe it would get Hermione off his case a bit. He was grateful for her help, he really was. It was her influence than had probably kept him from flunking out long ago and kept him alive on numerous occasions, but he was beginning to resent her attempts to manage his life and emotions as she liked to manage his school work. He wished she would just leave him alone. And maybe, if she was with Ron, her attention would be diverted away from Harry.

Hermione was writing often as well, offering him advice on dealing with grief, and telling him who couldn't keep it all to himself. She had also taken to pointing out all the errors he made that night. Harry had stopped reading her letters.

There were other letters, too. Remus wrote occasionally, as well as the twins and Mrs. Weasley. Neville, Luna, and Ginny had all sent him a handful of letters, and even some other members of the DA had written. But none of them seemed to understand what he was going through. It was nice, on occasion, to take a break from his own mess of a life to read of the fun one of his friends was having, but it always made him feel worse about himself after. Why was it that he could not even leave the house and everyone else was able to do as they pleased?

Harry knew the answer to that. Dumbledore had to protect his precious weapon.

So Harry had received quite a bit of mail, and at least once every few days Hedwig poked him repeatedly until he remembered to write one of them back, so the Order would know he was still alive. His replies never contained much more than a cursory, and blatantly false, status report. It's not like it would change anything if he told them the truth; it had never made a difference before. But on this rather unique morning he was delivered a letter by a rather regal looking brown owl he had never seen before, that bore a crest around its neck announcing it belonged to Gringotts. Harry was shocked, having never received correspondence from the bank before, or, indeed, ever even heard of anyone receiving something from them. Nervously, he unrolled the parchment.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Pursuant to the will of the late Sirius Orion Black, we are sending you notice that, as his sole heir, your holdings have grown considerably with the deposit of the Black fortune. In addition, you now own a house located in London, which we are regrettably unable to locate at this time. We believe it is currently under magical protection to hide its location. The Black summer home in Nice, France, is not under similar restrictions, and we have taken the liberty of commissioning a thorough cleaning and restoration project which should be completed by the end of the month._

_Per Mr. Black's wishes, the paperwork has been completed to provide you legal emancipation, and will be filed as soon as you are available to sign it. You will thereby be granted all the rights and privileges of an adult wizard. You should, however, note that any and all magic sensors would still be active. Should you wish to have these removed from your wand or your location, you would have to ask the appropriate office at the Ministry for Magic._

_Due to this change in your status, the will of James and Lily Potter was opened and executed. Again, you received a rather large increase in the size of your vault, as well as the deeds to the two Potter homes, and several lesser properties. Gringotts will be happy to assist you in visiting any of these at your convenience. They are ready for habitation._

_As per the bequest of Lily Evans Potter, in the case of you reaching majority before the age of seventeen, Gringotts is prepared to offer you the Inheritance Ritual. This will allow you to access any and all changes which you would not have normally achieved until your majority. For most wizards, this is simply an increase in their magical power. However, Lily Potter has left information regarding her heritage which would suggest your own magical maturation might have rather unusual effects. We will be ready to perform this ceremony for you on the morning of July 31, if you so desire. _

_In the mean time, there are several other services which Lily Potter requested of Gringotts, and which we will be happy to offer you. As these are in regards to rather sensitive topics, it is best to discuss them in person. Please send your wishes by return owl._

_Slinghard_

_Inheritance and Estate Office_

Harry stared at the letter in his hand. He had expected that Sirius would probably leave him most everything, though the finality of it hurt, but the emancipation was completely unexpected. He wondered what this meant for Dumbledore's precious blood wards. As they were only supposed to last until he turned seventeen, he didn't think they would work very well after this ritual, if they even worked after the emancipation. And that was another thing: what did Slinghard mean about his mother's heritage. Everyone had always told him she was a Muggleborn witch. Yet this seemed to imply something else, something more. For a few minutes, he considered not going through with the ritual, as it might very well be dangerous and he would be of age in a year anyway, but then he thought back to the prophecy. Any advantage he could have would be much appreciated.

Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

With a shrug, he grabbed a clean piece of parchment and scrawled a quick message back to Slinghard, informing him that he would like to participate in this ritual, and discuss these other measures. However, for the time being he was a virtual prisoner in this room. Hoping he wouldn't offend the goblin, Harry invited Slinghard or another goblin to visit him at their convenience. He couldn't decide if he would rather have the Dursleys aware of that visit or not. It might be amusing if they were.

The owl being sent, he returned to staring at the wall. It was the only thing available to him to do in this room, after all.

* * *

Harry was lying on his bed, once more lost in the hopelessness and despair he had been floundering in for several weeks now. Thus he didn't notice when the distinctive crack of apparition sounded through his room. It wasn't until he felt the shake of his shoulder that he blinked and looked around to see a goblin standing by his bed. He bolted upright.

"Oh! Sorry."

"No apologies are necessary, Mr. Potter. I am Slinghard, and I have come to discuss several things about your inheritance with you."

"Yes, of course. Um, would you like to sit down?"

An odd choking sound came from Slinghard and Harry had the distinct impression that the goblin was laughing at him. He didn't really know how he felt about that. Slinghard snapped his fingers and a plain wooden chair appeared, in which he sat. He stared at Harry in silence for several minutes before beginning.

"First, I understand that you wish to proceed with the Inheritance Ritual on your sixteenth birthday?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I have a portkey here for you that will take you to a secure room in Gringotts that morning. The ritual may take the entire day, so please be prepared." Slinghard pulled a small piece of rope out of his bag and passed it to Harry, who quickly pocketed it. He also withdrew a sheaf of parchment and passed it to Harry. "If you would sign at the bottom there, I will file your emancipation papers for you." Harry did so and handed them back without a word. "Now, we took the liberty of having one of our ward masters evaluate the wards at this home. Due to the emancipation that will go into effect tomorrow, the primary blood wards will fall."

Harry drew in a sharp breath. "Then I am no longer safe here?"

"No. I would advise that you spend the two weeks remaining until your birthday at another location."

"But... you said the Ministry could still track my magic. I'll be a sitting duck."

Again with the odd choking. "Your mother wrote a prevision into her will for this eventuality. At your birth she commissioned a very special object for you. When it was completed after her death, it was placed into the primary Potter vault until such time as you might have need of it." He pulled a small box out of his bag and passed it to Harry. Curious, he opened it to reveal a solid men's ring, dark silver in colour, with runes carved around it and small emeralds inlaid throughout. "This is magical focus ring, made of platinum, which acts like a wand for the wizard it is attuned to. It is also conveniently free of any tracking charms."

Harry stared at the ring in his hand. "This will work like a wand?" He questioned in awe.

"Why don't you try it out?"

Carefully, he pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand. After a brief moment, it flashed gold and shrunk to fit. With a nod from Slinghard, Harry raised his hand. "Lumos." The light that flashed from his hand was brighter than any he had ever gotten from his holly wand. Beaming, he murmured, "Nox." He looked up. "This is brilliant."

"Yes. Very few are aware of such foci for magic. I believe your mother commissioned it from a little known Persian culture. Moving on. I have brought information on several of the lesser known Potter properties, as well as portkeys to these locations. I would recommend using one of them until school starts. They are all warded quite heavily, and have a much lower likelihood of being searched than the main Potter homes."

"Thank you." Harry understood the allusion. Dumbledore would look at the main homes, but he didn't know about all the other places. He glanced briefly at the papers in his hands before setting them aside. He would look at them later. "Can you tell me anything about my mother's heritage? I was rather confused by that portion of your letter."

Slinghard gave a grin. "Few were aware that your mother was what is known as a Siren. Most take this to mean a type of Merperson, but this is not the case. The original Sirens were actually the product of a Veela mating with a Merman, and took characteristics from both."

"Wow." Harry breathed.

"Quite. Of course, like Veela, the only individuals who have displayed any characteristics of being Sirens are females of the line. It is believed that males are only capable of passing the gene on."

"But then why did my mum want me to do this ritual if I won't become a Siren?"

"That, Mr. Potter, is a question that I cannot really answer."

"Oh." Harry frowned. "Is my Aunt Petunia a Siren?"

"No. Your Aunt was born of a different mother, and hence does not even carry the trait. As I understand it, your grandfather left his first wife when he fell in love with your grandmother."

Harry nodded. It helped him understand why she was so very different than everyone told him his mother was and added another reason why Aunt Petunia was so bitter. "What are Sirens like? Are we talking the mythical Greek creatures that lured travellers in with song?"

"These were indeed Sirens, but Sirens under great distress. I rather doubt you would gain the ability to sing." Harry looked at the goblin in shock. Was he teasing him? "From the Merpeople, Sirens gained both incredible strength and, as a male, you would also expect a rather impressive height."

Harry's eyes widened. "That would be nice."

"Yes, I imagine so. It is one of the reasons we are concerned the ritual might take so long. Turning into a Siren would necessitate a great physical change in your body. From the Veela, Sirens inherit grace and speed. These are the basic physical attributes, though Sirens are known for having rather striking features: hair and eye colour that tends to draw the eye."

"My mother. She had bright eyes and hair."

"Yes. As I understand it, your inheritance of her eyes was one of the reasons she thinks you might have part in this inheritance."

"What else? Do Sirens have the Veela allure?"

Slinghard clasped his hands together before answering. "This is the greatest characteristic of a Siren. They are highly attractive to the opposite sex, though their magic is less... obvious than that of a Veela. Once they learn control, it is possible to live among the populace with none the wiser as to their true nature. It is rumoured that they can persuade all but the most strong willed to do their bidding. However, unlike Veela, Sirens are inherently monogamous in nature."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Yes. But I must caution you. You asked about the Sirens of Greek myth, and their story should serve as a warning. Sirens are innately sexual beings." Slinghard ignored Harry's reaction to this. "Without intimacy of some form, they lose all control on their magic and feel the need to attract anyone and everyone to get it. Young Sirens are encouraged to find their life partner for this reason."

"So... so I would have to find the woman I'm meant to be with, and rather quickly."

"So it would seem. In addition, there is a Siren bonding ritual that you would undergo with your mate."

"What does that mean?"

"Because of the danger of a Siren being separated from the one individual they crave, the ancient wizards enacted a powerful magic. As soon as a Siren calls upon this magic, there is no force on earth that can separate them from their mate. It is more binding than marriage and unbreakable while the Siren lives. It is also above all the laws that wizards may enact."

"Um, okay."

"You do not yet understand the need for such a thing. But imagine, Mr. Potter, if you found your mate before the coming school year, and if you were forcibly kept apart from her. Even if she was at Hogwarts with you, societal convention would prevent you from achieving the intimacy that your nature would demand. You would then effectively go crazy, seeking to enthral all those around you because of your own lack of release."

"Oh." Harry closed his eyes and took several calming breaths. This was a lot to digest. Especially for the naive and easily embarrassed young man whose entire knowledge on the issue of intimacy was derived from overhearing conversations in the boys dormitory at Hogwarts. "Is there more?" He asked, without even opening his eyes.

"Yes, there can be. Due to their ancestry, Sirens have a natural affinity for both air and water, a rather interesting combination. Like a Veela, many have the ability to grow full wings, and their ability and control of flight is usually instinctual. If I might be so bold, this might explain the reason that you seem so at home in the air. From the mer-connection, they are often also able to function rather well in the water. These traits tend to depend on the individual Siren. And, as I said, they are not always present."

"But if I had wings, they wouldn't be there all the time, right? I could hide them so no one knew?"

"That is our understanding."

"And my mother thought I would become a Siren, even though there has never been a male Siren before?"

"Yes. She shared with us that you had displayed several traits already. The eyes, of course, as well as a natural affinity for the air, and a strong love of water. But her greatest reason for believing this was something that she did not share with us. She only said that for some reason she was sure it was destined for you to inherit this power."

Harry's blood ran cold. A power he knows not. It would make sense. It also was, ironically enough, even love based as Dumbledore had claimed. Not that he trusted much of what the Headmaster thought or said recently. This brought up an important question.

"Was Dumbledore aware of my mother's ancestry?"

"No, Mr. Potter. She explained that she had learned of it from her own mother, who was also Siren, and that it had long been a carefully guarded family secret. It was only shared with one's mate and the children who might carry the gene. It had, of course, been much easier for them to hide this secret in the Muggle world, as no one was looking for the unusual. Evidently, your mother was the first of Siren blood that displayed the ability to perform non-Siren magics. It is an amazing feat that your mother managed to hide her nature in the world of magic as well, especially as she underwent her transformation while still at school, and under Dumbledore's nose."

Harry wasn't really paying attention as Slinghard said his goodbyes and left, too engrossed in thinking about all he had learned tonight. Several things made more sense now. He had heard from numerous, usually male, sources how wonderful his mother was, and he wondered how much of that was her Siren pull. Also, it made sense that her seeming drastic change in attitude towards his father was fuelled in part by her transformation, as the timing would suggest. It made him feel better about the situation. Given her nature, it was obvious that she had really loved his Dad, something that had concerned him ever since his ill-fated trip into Snape's memory.

He also thought that Slinghard's comment about his affinity for air might have some merit. While he had heard numerous comments about how his father was an excellent Quidditch player, his flying had always seemed to be something more. He wasn't the youngest player in a century for nothing. The affinity for water, however, he couldn't see at all. The only time he had really spent a great deal of time in the water was during the second task, and he hadn't noticed any special affinity. He certainly enjoyed the water, and was famous for his long showers at Hogwarts (the only place he had ever been allowed the luxury), but nothing unusual.

Unless you count the fact that the Mermen had actually allowed him to take more than one hostage, despite their orders not to. Maybe there was a reason they had listened to him, more than just his threat of magic. After all, they had seemed to be a warrior race; they shouldn't have been completely frightened by the magic of a fourteen year old boy, whom they must have realised didn't have the capabilities to do much at the time.

However, Harry had never seen any evidence of him having any kind of special pull for girls. And he had always made a complete idiot of himself around them. The only girl who had ever showed an unusual interest in him was Ginny Weasley, and hers had started before she even met him, so it couldn't have been do with anything Siren. He was actually worried what such a transformation might do to her infatuation with him, which had seemed to be toned down last year. He very much hoped it stayed that way.

Harry dragged his hand through his unruly hair. There was really no use worrying about all this right now. He didn't even know if he was a Siren, and every piece of conventional wisdom insisted that he couldn't be. If it happened, then he would deal with it. For right now, he had more important things to do. Like determining where he was going to live for the next few weeks and getting there before Voldemort realised how unprotected he was, or Dumbledore noticed his wards had failed and came to collect him again.

Neither option was really appealing at the moment.

* * *

Harry Potter, a hat pulled low to hide his scar, was wandering the coastal town of Cardigan, Wales. One of the Potter summer homes was located nearby, and he had found references in the library to a small area of the town that held magical shops. Evidently, there was a rather significant magical population within the area. He had been walking for most of the morning, and was just about to give up and find someplace to eat before heading home, when a store sign caught his eye. He wouldn't put it past the Muggles to have a store called Merlin's Landing, but they certainly wouldn't have a sign with moving pictures on it. Tugging on his hat to insure his rather crude disguise, he entered the small store.

It appeared to be a shop catering to many needs. One corner looked like an apothecary, there were several display cases containing odds and ends, and one entire wall was covered in bookshelves.

"Can I help you?" Came a lilting voice from behind him.

Harry turned around quickly to see a girl about his height. His eyes widened as he looked at her. She had black hair that fell in loose curls to the middle of her back, and was so full and thick he wanted to bury his hands in it. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans and an odd red shirt that was tight in places and flowing and loose and others; he had to force himself not to look at her rather pleasant curves that were so clearly displayed. But it was her eyes that were the most entrancing. They were a startling Persian blue, framed by thick lashes. She was looking at him with a raised brow, obviously amused at his reaction. "Um... I was just looking around."

"You're new here."

"Yes. Just moved here, and heard there were several magical shops. Guess I just wanted to see what was here."

She nodded, a strange look in her eyes. Harry watched her, trying to figure out why she looked familiar. He was sure he would have remembered seeing her around. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever come across. "We carry most everything you typically might need, but there are a couple of other shops around. There's a robe shop around the corner, and a creatures shop next to it. And then two streets over there's a... well, I guess you would call it an art shop."

"An art shop?"

"Yes. They mostly do commissions of any kind, magical portraits and sculptures and such. But they'll also give you body art."

His eyes went wide. "Oh." He cocked his head to the side as he considered this. He never knew there was a magical version of a tattoo. At least, that's what he thought she meant. He was oddly curious.

She seemed to recognise this. "I never took you to be the type of boy who would go for that sort of thing."

He stepped back quickly, his eyes darting around the empty store. "Um... I..."

"Don't worry, not many would recognise you here."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Then how did you?"

She raised one delicate eyebrow. "Now, now, Mr. Potter. Don't you recognise me?"

He stared at her, and then shook his head. "Should I?"

"We have shared classes together for five years, but I suppose you wouldn't care about a Slytherin."

Harry looked at her carefully, thinking. She looked his age, but his mind wasn't recognising anything but the fact that she seemed familiar; who were the Slytherins in his year? He knew there were a couple of other girls besides Pansy and Millicent, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember their names. He shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Usually, I'm paying too much attention to Malfoy to notice anyone else."

She laughed. "I didn't know you swung that way, Potter."

His jaw dropped. "No! I mean, I have to watch him to make sure he doesn't curse me in the back. Not like that."

"I know, I was just teasing." She held a hand out, and after a brief pause he shook it. "Daphne Greengrass."

"Hello, Daphne. I'm Harry Potter."

She dropped a teasing curtsy. "Pleasure to meet you."

He chuckled. "So you live around here?"

"Fairly close by. Mum and Dad let me work here over the summer to keep me out of trouble."

"And do you often get in trouble?"

She laughed. "Only at home." He looked at her in question. "I am very different at school than at home; I have to be."

"I'm afraid you lost me."

"The hazards of being a Slytherin. Girls have three options in my house. One, we can be a happy little Death Eater like Millicent. Two, we can be the house slag like Pansy. Or three, we can stay away from everyone and keep to ourselves. I'm sure you understand why I chose the third option."

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry. That hardly seems fair."

"And being alternately vilified or lauded as a hero is fair?"

He gave a crooked grin. "No, it isn't." He was oddly pleased that she seemed to have seen through the media hype about him and recognised that it was utter crap.

"We all have to live with our lot in life, Potter." She shook herself briefly, clearing the look in her eyes that Harry couldn't identify, but didn't like. "Enough of that. I prefer not to worry about Hogwarts during the summer; a girl needs a break, you understand."

"Of course. I guess I'll let you get back to work, then." He hesitated briefly. "It was nice to talk to you Daphne."

She looked at him, as if analysing him carefully, and then spoke quickly, before she could lose her nerve. "I have to be home soon today, but if you like I can show you around the rest of the town tomorrow."

Harry's surprise showed clearly on his face, but a slow grin took over. "I'd like that."

"How about we meet next door for lunch, at about 1?"

He grinned, and gave an exaggerated bow. "It would be my pleasure, my lady."

She giggled and swatted his arm, then hurried away as he chuckled.

Harry, a grin on his face, exited the small shop and wandered away. It didn't occur to him to question the ease with which he had conversed with Daphne, he just relived the memory. He was well aware that he had to be careful. Very few people would interact honestly with him, and Daphne's house made him cautious, though not immediately distrustful. He knew that Moody would be horrified that he had agreed to meet a girl he barely knew, and a Slytherin at that, but Harry was confident in his ability to escape if he had to. No one would be expecting him to be able to use magic, and he had taken to carrying several portkeys in his pocket just in case. He could get away if he needed to, though he very much hoped it wouldn't be necessary. He wished there was someone he could ask about Daphne, but he had a feeling Hermione would blow up at him if he asked about her (and promptly run off to tell Dumbledore), and Ron would freak that he was talking to a Slytherin.

It took him the entire walk home to come up with a plan. He scribbled a hasty note and sent it off with Hedwig, hoping it would have time to get back before he had to meet Daphne tomorrow.

* * *

"Oy, Fred! C'mere!" George shouted as he untied the letter from Hedwig. He offered her a treat, and she gave him a look that quite clearly asked if it was safe. He chuckled. "Course it is, girl. Harry would skin me alive if I hurt you." Hedwig nodded her beak and took the treat, before making herself comfortable on the owl perch.

Fred stumbled through the door, and it was immediate obvious why. His feet appeared to be large flippers. "Hey, can't you see I'm busy here?"

"Harry sent a letter."

"Oh! What does he have to say?"

"Dear Gred and Forge."

"Ah, I love his terms of endearments." George shot his twin a look, and Fred shut up.

"I have a rather delicate question for you that I'm hoping can be kept between the three of us. Due to the obvious reasons, I've scampered from dear old Number Four. Don't worry, I'm well protected and perfectly fine." The two looked at each other quickly before turning back to the letter. "I've run into a school mate that seems to be nice enough, but I'm understandably cautious about. What can you tell me about Daphne Greengrass? All I know is that she's a Slytherin in my year that doesn't hang with Malfoy and his crowd. Do you think she's alright? Have you heard anything about her? Thanks for anything you can tell me. I'd really like to tell you where I am in, but you know how dangerous that can be. Daphne looks to be the only one that could keep me company here, and I'd really like to trust her a bit." George stopped reading aloud for a bit and skimmed the rest. "He then says the usual, asks after the family and the shop some. Wants to know how we are."

"Daphne Greengrass, huh? She's quite a looker."

George waggled his eyebrows. "Figure Harry is interested in more than friendship?"

"Might be. I wouldn't blame him."

"Do you want to write him back, or should I?"

"You do it. I've got to get rid of these flippers. Make sure to tell him about Katie."

"Yeah."

Fred disappeared out the door only to pop his head back in a minute later. "Can you imagine Ron's face if he finds out Harry's dating a Slytherin?"

"Maybe we should keep this to ourselves for a bit."

"Good idea, twin of mine."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, with steepled fingers, as he waited for the floo to go off. He had sent Remus Lupin to visit with Harry and check on him. Albus was not worried. The lad had been sending regular updates, and he had been pleasantly surprised by how upbeat and healthy the boy sounded. He had expected Harry to fall into a mild depression after the death of his godfather and the revelation of the prophecy, but Harry seemed to be coping well with both. It was merely as a precaution that he had sent Remus today. The wards were not strengthening as quickly as he had expected; indeed, this morning they had started to weaken.

Albus considered how he wanted to forward his plans for Harry. He knew the boy would probably want to begin intensive training now that he knew of the prophecy, but Albus did not want him too powerful. He would be easier to control if he was floundering in the war. He would need to find something to distract Harry from the prophecy.

A romance would do nicely, and Harry was at that age. Now he just had to determine who to push the boy at. Hermione Granger would have been an excellent choice, but Albus knew that Ronald Weasley fancied himself in love with her. It would not do to drive a wedge in between the two friends. He needed Ron to remain friends with Harry so that he could continue to hold him back academically. Albus considered other girls. Neither of the other two Gryffindor girls in Harry's year would do, as they were much too flighty for Harry's personality. Cho Chang would be a bad idea, as she tended to remind Harry of Cedric and depress him further. Indeed, Albus wanted to stay away from Ravenclaws in general, as he didn't want Harry drawn into more studying. And, of course, the lad would never go for a Slytherin, not that any of them would date him anyway. A Hufflepuff would do nicely. He didn't think either Susan Bones or Hannah Abbot was currently seeing anyone. But Harry had never shown any particular inclination for either. If he were to suggest such to Harry, it might be obvious that he was trying to interfere, and that would be counterproductive for his plans. No, the best choice seemed to be little Ginny Weasley.

The next time he saw Harry, he would point out to him how loyal she was. Maybe he could even throw in an allusion to the fact that the silly girl was so infatuated she would likely do anything he asked. To a sixteen year old boy, there was nothing better. That should be enough to get things started. And maybe he could casually remark about how much she looked like his mother; it would be like history repeating itself.

A smiling Albus turned expectantly as the fire spewed out Remus Lupin. His smile fell when he saw the look on the werewolf's face.

"Remus? Is something wrong with Harry?"

Remus looked at him with haunted eyes. "I don't know, as no one has seen him in two days."

"What?"

"All his things are gone, and Petunia hasn't seen or heard from him in two days."

Albus collapsed further into his seat. "When was the last time anyone received a note from him?"

"I heard from him three days ago, and Fred and George got a note from him last night."

Albus sat up sharply. "What did it say?"

"They claim to have misplaced the actual note, but said it only contained the usual, along with questions about their new shop."

"We have to find him, Remus."

"I know. I just have no idea where to look."

* * *

Daphne Greengrass was up early in the morning, sitting on her balcony with her arms wrapped around her legs as she looked at the stars. Her thoughts were swirling around her meeting with Harry Potter yesterday, and her rather unusual promise to meet him today.

The Greengrass family was old and respectable, but traditionally remained neutral in wizarding conflicts. Most seemed to assume that they would side with the Dark if they had to choose, but this perception came mainly from the fact that they were pureblooded and practiced many of the old forms. Before she started Hogwarts, her parents had carefully instructed her in how to remain above the conflicts that she would find there. Her mother also cautioned her about boys, especially after she was sorted into Slytherin. If she did not want to be used by most of the males in her dorm, she had to make sure they knew she was off limits, to everyone.

Thus had begun Daphne's dual persona. At home, she was feisty and passionate at times. She didn't always follow rules and her magic, which she practiced regularly within the wards of her home, was remarkable. At school, she was calm and level-headed. She never strayed from the expected and her work, though near the top of the class in theory, never called attention to her in class. She was the Ice Princess of Slytherin.

While this had been necessary for her protection, and had provided a good bit of protection for her sister as well, it had also made her existence rather lonely. She and Tracey were good friends, though they rarely shared anything truly important, and most of their time spent together was doing homework. Blaise was a decent bloke, but, again, he didn't know the real her. So she had spent her time studying carefully, and watching those around her. She examined everything she learned, looking for weaknesses to exploit and allies to court, and she never let anyone see under her facade.

This was how she first noticed Harry Potter. From watching him she knew he was much more than he appeared. The question was whether he himself knew this or not. Based on several of Granger's rants in the library she knew that Harry had lived a rather dismal childhood, something that was shocking for the Potter heir and the Boy-Who-Lived. He had certainly displayed all the signs of being emotionally and physically abused as a child, and she had to wonder how much of it was still going on. Either this had caused him to hide his true potential from the world, or it was hidden so deep he had not even found it yet. But she knew that he would tap into it eventually, and it would be a fantastic sight to behold.

She tried not to acknowledge the fact that she was undeniably attracted to the Gryffindor Golden Boy. If things had been different, she would have approached him years ago. If things had been different, she would have gone to her father immediately upon returning home yesterday, and put in her own request for a contract. But things were not different. She knew this could never happen, however it didn't stop her from wishing it could.

All of this had led to her decision yesterday to talk to him. And she hadn't talked to him as the Ice Princess, but as Daphne. The decision to invite him out today, however, had shocked her when she had blurted it out without thinking.

Was it even possible to open up to him? Was this all going to backfire in her face?

Merlin, she hoped not.

* * *

"So you really knew nothing about magic before you got your letter?" She had trouble understanding how someone could be raised without this knowledge. Her whole life revolved around her ability to use magic.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't even believe the letter, at first. I mean, here was this giant of a man telling me that I could do magic and that I was some kind of hero, and I knew nothing about it. I thought that if I was magic I would have been able to get revenge on my cousin more often."

"Sounds like you got him a couple of times."

Harry grinned. "Yeah. When we were little, I silenced him once. Took over a day to wear off. And right before I turned eleven I set a boa constrictor on him. That was the first time I realised I could talk to snakes. Hagrid gave him a pig's tail, too, that summer. They had it surgically removed at some posh private hospital because they refused to use magic to get rid of it. Dudley still holds his arse whenever a wizard is around in fear that they'll do it again. And last summer he was with me when I was attacked by Dementors. Completely freaked him out."

"You were attacked by Dementors over the summer?" She asked in shock.

"Sure. Umbridge sent them trying to discredit me. And then they put me on trial for underage magic use when I used a Patronus to get rid of them."

Her draw dropped. "You can conjure a Patronus? A corporal Patronus?"

He shook his head at the number of times he had been asked that. He didn't think it was all that spectacular. In answer, he brought his hand up and thought of the smile on Daphne's face when he had showed up today at the shop. She had beamed so brightly at him it set his heart beating furiously. "Expecto Patronum!"

The giant silver stag erupted from his hand and cantered around, before coming back and bowing low to the couple where they sat with their feet dangling over the edge of the cliff.

"Wow!" Daphne exclaimed as she watched it. "That's fantastic. Can you teach me?"

"Sure. But can you do magic without getting in trouble?"

Her face dropped. "No. Only at home; the wards block the Ministry detectors." She turned to level a curious gaze at him. "How is it you can do magic? I would imagine they are watching you much more closely."

He grinned. "Surely you don't expect me to tell you all my secrets, Miss Greengrass?"

She huffed. "Fine. Now, let's have lunch. I'm starving, and you promised to take me to the cineme that you were telling me about yesterday. I want to see the moving pictures."

He laughed. "Sure, Daphne. We'll go to the cinema. There's an action movie I think you'll like. There ought to be plenty of people being beaten to a bloody pulp to satisfy your blood lust."

She smirked. "You know me well, Potter."

He grinned at her as he helped her up and they started walking into town. His quick note to Fred and George had relieved his initial concerns. Neither of them knew the Greengrass sisters personally, but they wrote that Katie Bell often studied with Daphne, and said she was decent. Evidently, she had a bit of a reputation of being aloof at school, but she stayed out of the typical Slytherin politics. The Greengrass family was known for rarely choosing sides, and none of its members had ever been accused of being a Death Eater. This was enough for Harry to let his guard down enough to get to know her, and he was glad he had. She was intriguing, and he felt like she was weaving a spell around him. Everything about her was fascinating to him.

* * *

Harry was shooting her strange glances as they walked, and she was just waiting for him to say his piece. They were wandering around near the river, taking in the scenery as they talked.

"Is it really that bad in Slytherin House?"

She sighed. "It can be. I've been lucky, because my parents were careful to teach me and Astoria enough to protect ourselves. I knew going in that I was probably going to Slytherin, and I learned how to put them off without making them want to hurt me." She gave a wry grin. "Of course, I wasn't expecting to end up begin the most sought after girl in Hogwarts."

Harry chuckled nervously. "Well, you are rather beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you, Harry. Some days I really wish I wasn't."

He smiled softly. "You shouldn't ever wish that. You should never let anyone make you not want to be yourself."

"You should take your own advice, you know."

He chuckled. "Yeah, probably. Only I wish that everyone would leave me alone so that I could be myself. I'm not what they all think I am. I don't understand their fascination with me."

She shook her head. She knew that no matter what she said, he would never believe her. He really was worth all the hype. She had seen and heard about the spectacular things he had done, and she understood the reasons why everyone was in awe of him. In fact, she had the feeling that he was even more than anyone knew and deserved even more attention. But she was kind of glad that he was wary of it. It meant that much more that he was willing to spend time with her.

"Telling more about what is was like growing up in the Wizarding world?" He asked, and she accepted the change in topic. He never did like talking about himself that much.

"Have I told you the story of the first time Astoria and I stole mother's wand for the day?"

* * *

Harry stared at her as she walked ahead of him, her black hair shining in the sun and dancing in the wind that was blowing through. She was humming slightly to herself as she walked, and her steps were oddly dancelike. Harry was entranced. He wished he had the courage to tell her how he felt about her, or even touch her. But he knew he never would. Daphne was too perfect for him to ever be anywhere on the same level as her. He knew that he wouldn't even be able to talk to her once he left their little world here. It would be too dangerous for her to be seen associating with a Gryffindor, let alone Harry Potter.

She turned around to see what was holding him and grinned at the look of awe on his face.

"You coming there, Potter?"

"Yeah. You just seem so carefree. I like it."

She laughed happily. "I'm rarely allowed to just be happy like this. I'm enjoying myself."

"I wish I could help you, Daphne."

"You are, Harry. You make me feel safe out here. I've never just wandered town like this; I was always worried about being alone out here."

He grinned. "I'm glad you know that I'll take care of you."

She smiled at him. "I could take care of myself if you would let me into the secret of how you can use magic."

He laughed. She had been asking him that since they first met. "It wouldn't do any good, Daph. It only works for me and it would take years to set up the same thing for you."

She pouted at him, but her mind was thrilled at the way he said her name. His tone seemed to caress it as he shortened it.

* * *

"Will you explain to me about your father's politics?" He asked quietly as they sat eating lunch at a small diner.

She sighed. She knew why he was so interested in this. "The Greengrass name has been synonymous with neutrality for centuries; my father is loath to cross that. He was raised with the idea that we never choose sides. It will take a lot for him to go back on that path. However, with the Dark Lord around, it is getting harder to do. The Dark Lord does not accept neutrality easily, so my father has had to make himself invaluable in certain business operations. This makes it unwise for the Death Eaters to get on his bad side."

"But doesn't that make it look bad to the Light side, your dad doing business with Death Eaters."

"Yeah. Which is why most people assume we're dark. But since Dad never does anything illegal, there's nothing they can do about it."

"And what does that mean for you?"

"It means that I have to be somewhat civil to certain slime of the earth. Or, at least, as civil as I am to anyone at school."

"But they don't have enough on you for you to have to... do any more than that?"

She looked down, deciding how much to tell him. She thought it likely that if she mentioned the marriage contract deals to Harry he would explode, and this certainly wasn't the place to do that. "No, they don't. But if it gets much worse... I don't know."

He stiffened visibly and was silent until they finished their meal. As they were walking away, he spoke quietly. "You'll let me know if it gets that bad?"

"Why?"

"Because I'll figure out something to help."

"Okay, Harry." And she really believed he would. But she hoped it didn't come to that.

"Thank you."

* * *

Harry couldn't even begin to explain how shocked he was about the last two weeks. He had come here to get away and hide until his birthday. That first day, he had wandered into the town simply to find something to do.

And then he had been recognised.

At first, he hadn't known what to make of Daphne. She was beautiful, of course. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It shocked him to realise that he must never had really looked at her before; if he had, he would have noticed her long and full hair that called to him, or her startling blue eyes that held so much, or her curvy little body that had him panting after her. He had had to work very hard in their time together to hide his rather... substantial reaction to her.

But the surprising thing is that it was more than just her looks that attracted him to her now. Her mind was sharp, and yet she never talked down to him or ragged on him. Instead, she would prod him until he came up with his own thoughts and then beam at his brilliance. She also had a rather unique perspective on the current conflict. Most everyone he had run into was either staunchly Light, like Dumbledore or the Weasleys, or firmly Dark, like Voldemort and the Malfoys. Daphne, however, believed that Voldemort was wrong but there were better ways to fight him than Dumbledore's. She helped Harry understand how Dumbledore in power was nearly as bad as Voldemort, and how it was Dumbledore's policies that had allowed Voldemort to fester into existence.

All of this was fascinating to him, but he was even more amazed that he had actually discussed it with her in the first place. For some reason, he felt safe with Daphne as he hadn't felt with anyone before. And comfortable. He couldn't remember the last time he had been completely comfortable in someone else's presence.

His heart wrenched as he remembered that he was going to have to leave her the day after tomorrow. The next time he saw her after that, she would have retreated back into the Ice Princess, and most probably wouldn't even glance in his direction.

Sometimes he really hated his life.

* * *

Harry strolled into the small shop and grinned at the girl behind the counter. "Evening, Daphne."

She smiled when she saw him. "Hi, Harry. You ready?"

"Of course."

She rolled her eyes and stepped out from behind the counter. "Let me just close up, and then we can go."

Harry leaned up against one of the counters as she tidied up and locked up the till, his eyes following her every move. In the two weeks he had been here, he had spent time nearly every day with Daphne, and his time was now at an end. He couldn't understand why that thought hurt so much.

With a last look around the store, Daphne practically skipped to his side and took his hand to yank him out of the store. She locked the door on her way out, and then started pulling him. He laughed and hurried to catch up.

"You seem more excited about this than I am."

"Of course. I get to watch you try to be all manly and pretend it doesn't hurt. I'm sure it will be entertaining."

He rolled his eyes. During their first walk around town, Daphne had shown him the magical art studio, and after watching him eyeing it each day as they passed, she had finally dragged him in one day. By the time they left, he had already commissioned his own piece, and they had been back twice already to check on the design. As he was leaving tomorrow, something which Daphne didn't seem happy about, it was time to get his work done.

As they stepped into the shop, the wiry man behind the counter looked up and smiled. "Hey, kids. You ready for this?"

Harry nodded and followed the man, known as Clio, into the back where his equipment was set up. To Harry's amusement, Daphne followed them and curled up in a chair to watch. With a shrug, Harry pulled his shirt off and sat in the chair.

Over the next hour, Clio placed an intricate series of designs in a band around his right bicep. The design was done entirely in blue, which Harry had secretly chosen because it was the colour of Daphne's eyes, and in a style reminiscent of the Greek pottery he had once seen during a school trip to a museum. Placed carefully in the design were four specific shapes: stag, wolf, dog, and a lily with wings. Harry didn't speak as Clio worked, and Daphne was amazed that he seemed not to even notice the pain. She had no way to know that it was nothing to him, not coming near to what he had endured in his short life. Instead, he watched in fascination as the design took shape.

She had not asked him what the design meant, recognising that it was painful to him. But she was curious. Particularly over the fact that the wolf he had chosen was distinctly Were in shape. And who ever heard of a winged flower?

Clio finished up the design, and then tapped his wand against it to heal the irritation his tools had caused the skin. Then a final tap animated the design. Harry looked down in awe as the stag curled around the lily while the dog and wolf ran happily together. It was as they should have been, had things been different.

"Thank you, Clio. It's perfect."

"Always happy to help. I had fun with that design, too."

Harry and Daphne left the small shop and headed to their favourite restaurant for dinner, both oddly quiet. Harry had told her that he had to leave the next day, and didn't know if he would be back. He still didn't know what to expect from the ritual tomorrow, and didn't think that he could bring himself to come back if his mother's expectations came true. Would she even want to be near him anymore? And both knew that it would be very hard to maintain their friendship once school started.

Harry would be shunned and Daphne in danger if it ever came out.

So they ate quietly, and Harry walked Daphne home. At the edge of her family's wards, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He had found a friend that didn't seem to want or expect anything from him, and accepted him exactly as he was. Unfortunately, there was a very large chance that he would no longer be that person after tomorrow.

For the first time in many years, Harry Potter cursed the unfairness of his life for a reason that had nothing to do with Voldemort. And, without a word, he let Daphne walk away from him, expecting to never really be able to talk to her again.

* * *

It was a dejected Harry Potter that took his portkey to Gringotts the next morning. He had debated all week whether to tell Daphne the truth of what was happening today, but decided against it in the end. It was dangerous for her to know, and he was still convinced that there was no way to maintain their friendship any longer. It was not a happy thought.

He arrived in a small room containing a large bed. Through the open door he could see a solid marble room which was bare except for a rather ornate series of etchings on the floor. Waiting for him were three goblins. He smiled, and bowed slightly. "Hello, Slinghard."

"Mr. Potter, welcome to Gringotts and happy birthday."

"Thank you."

"If you would leave your belongings here, we will begin the ritual." Harry nodded and set down his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "It is also advised that you enter the ritual unclothed." Harry blushed slightly but complied.

He followed the three goblins into the other room and lay in the centre of the floor as directed. He closed his eyes and tried his best to relax as the goblins moved around him arranging things. A gruff voice came from above his head. "The ritual is ready, Mr. Potter. We will return at its conclusion. Good luck."

He listened as their footsteps left the room and the heavy door was shut, and then there was silence. He waited nervously for whatever was to come.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, a teenage girl was entering a small shop. "Well good morning, Miss Daphne. I didn't expect to see you again so soon." He didn't comment on the lingering redness in her eyes.

She offered a small smile. "Hello, Clio. I came to get some work done."

Clio's eyes widened in recognition as he looked down at the paper she handed him. Without a word he set up his equipment and got to work. He knew that the lad had left today, without knowing if he was coming back, and wondered if he would ever find out what she had done for him.

Clio was rather ashamed to admit that he hoped so. He idly wondered if there was something wrong with him; he usually wasn't such a sap.

* * *

A/N: So, clearly this story is very different than what I have done before. It is mostly finished, with a few scenes later on I still need to work on, but I still want to hear your opinion. I might even be willing to change things (One reviewer asked me nicely not to be too mean to Ginny, and I changed quite a bit after some thought and realising how right they were).


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So another chapter. The more mature content starts at the end of this chapter, so please don't read if you aren't old enough or dislike such things. I tried to keep it mild and non-descriptive.

* * *

Harry groaned as he opened his eyes and then immediately slammed them shut when the bright light flooded his vision. After taking several calming breaths, he tried again, only opening his eyes a crack this time until his vision adjusted to the bright light. Then he blinked in confusion instead, and brought a hand up to feel at his face.

He was not wearing his glasses, and he could see perfectly.

"Wow, I like that unintended consequence of whatever this is," he said quietly to the empty room.

He glanced down and noticed a ribbon curled up on his chest. Shrugging, he reached up and picked it up. Taking a mental inventory of the rest of his body, he could not feel anything else that was noticeably different, and he gave a relieved sigh. Pushing the sheets back off his body, he carefully sat up, thankful when this movement didn't cause any pain. He didn't remember much of the ritual itself, but he had a vivid memory of excruciating pain. He slowly stood up and reached for the small pile of his clothes and began mindlessly putting them on.

Only to pull up short when his pants wouldn't fasten.

He looked down in confusion and realised that they appeared a good six inches too short, and much too small. Shocked, he reached for his shirt, only to discover that it, too, would no longer fit him. Stripping off the too small clothes, he made his way over to the large mirror that hung in the corner.

He barely even recognised himself. He was tall, though he had no way of knowing just how tall at the moment, and his entire body had filled out to a shocking degree. His hair was still black and unruly, but it now seemed almost blue when he moved. His eyes were still vivid green, but they nearly glowed with their own light. He slowly turned sideways, examining himself carefully, and then stuck his head over his shoulder to examine his backside.

"Bloody hell!" He screamed in shock.

On his shoulder blades, and going down the sides of his back, were two tattoos of intricate wings. They were beautifully done, and he quite liked them, but he had no idea what they were doing there. Slinghard had said he might have real wings, not tattooed ones.

"Merlin! Does this mean..." If he had the wings, does that mean he really had turned into a Siren?

With a crack, one of the goblins from earlier appeared, and nodded in approval to see him up and about. "Good to see you awake, Mr. Potter. How do you feel?" The goblin handed him a new set of clothes, which Harry scrambled to put on as he answered.

"Okay, I guess. I'm a little shocked."

"Yes, as were we. From all appearances, it would seem that you have, indeed, become the first male Siren. We were rather curious about the wings on your back, and took the liberty of looking into them. It would seem that they have the ability to become full wings, though every recorded case states that it takes some getting used to before you will able to access them at will."

"How do I get them to come out?"

"Most seemed to say that until you learned how, the only way to get the wings to emerge was because they were needed." Harry raised an eyebrow in question. "Meaning, if you were to jump from a great height, your wings would come out to save you."

Harry swallowed nervously. "Oh. Right."

"Incidentally, I would maintain possession of that ribbon at all times. You will learn what it is for. It is explained in one of the books I have for you."

He shrugged and stuffed it into his pocket. "Okay."

"As you can tell, you have also grown a great deal. I would advise getting a new wardrobe immediately, as I doubt any of your old clothes would fit at this time. I would also suggest that you be careful of your strength until such time as you are able to test it."

"My strength?"

Instead of answering, the goblin chose to demonstrate. With a snap of his fingers, a large and ornate trunk appeared. "Would you pick this up, please, Mr. Potter?"

With a shrug, Harry did as asked, it wasn't that heavy, and then set it back down.

"We have taken the liberty of filling that trunk with a healthy amount of gold and Muggle money, as well as all the books we could find on Sirens in your vault, for you. With a featherweight charm not yet applied, that trunk weighs approximately 20 stone." (A/N: for those not from the UK, this about 280 lbs.) Harry stared at the goblin in complete shock. "Now you see the need to be careful until you grow used to your new body." Harry nodded numbly. "If you have no other questions, I will escort you back to the lobby and you can be on your way."

Harry shook himself slightly before replying. "Thank you. That would be appreciated. And thank you for all your help."

The goblin gave a sharp nod of his head. "Of course, Mr. Potter. Please let us know if we can be of any other assistance."

With that, he turned and headed for the door. Harry hastily shrunk both his old and new trunk, and put them in his pockets before following him out. He didn't really pay much attention as he was led up to the lobby, or when the goblin gave one more nod of understanding before disappearing. With a deep sigh, Harry stepped out of the doors of the bank and into the bright light of Diagon Alley. By the position of the sun, it appeared to be about midday, and Harry wondered if the ritual had taken less time than expected, or more. He headed over to a stand holding the Daily Prophet and noted the date. August 1.

He had been out all night.

Deciding that clothes needed to be his first priority, he made his way towards Madam Malkin's. He entered the shop, noting the other customers that were browsing around and the older girl that was being fitted for new dress robes. He vaguely recognised her as having been a Ravenclaw three years older than him. Seeing that Madam Malkin was busy currently, he turned to sit and wait, only to come up short when a shop assistant seemed to materialise right in front of him.

The assistant was a young woman, and she was smiling up at him oddly. He blinked. "Can I help you," she asked.

"Um, I need new Hogwarts robes, and dress robes."

Her hand came up and rested on his arm. "Of course. I can take care of that for you."

Harry looked down at her hand in shock, and then nodded his acceptance. She proceeded to pull out a tape and start to measure him, causing Harry to squirm uncomfortably as her hands would linger on his arms or chest. After what seemed to him an interminable amount of time, she finally stopped and headed into the back, returning with her arms filled with robes. His Hogwarts robes were soon ready, and he then spent a good ten minutes arguing with her about his dress robes. He refused, point blank, to buy the red ones. They would draw much too much attention. Instead, he finally settled on a plain set of black and a rather more elaborate set of green. He was relieved when he was able to get out of the shop, though the girl had tried to get him to meet her for dinner and seemed to have a hard time taking no for an answer.

It shocked him that she never once seemed to notice his scar, and honestly seemed to have no idea who he was.

With his wizarding wardrobe taken care of, Harry headed to Flourish and Blotts. There he quickly bought a copy of every book they had about Sirens, while trying unsuccessfully to ignore the stares he was receiving from most of the women and girls in the shop. Several even sidled up to him and brushed against him as they passed. It was slightly unnerving. Deciding to get out of the magical world, he headed through the Leaky Cauldron, his head ducked down, and out into the Muggle world. There he followed along with the flow of traffic until he found a rather large and impressive clothing store.

The next two hours were spent in a daze. He had barely stepped into the store when he was approached by another shop girl, who insisted that she help him pick out his clothes. When he told her he was looking for a completely new wardrobe, as he had recently had a rather large growth spurt, her expression had turned positively feral. First she had helped him with regular clothes. Jeans, shorts, trousers, shirts, t-shirts, and shoes. Then came sportswear; things he could wear exercising and playing Quidditch. She even managed to talk him into a few nicer outfits and a suit. At this point, Harry was quite satisfied and happily paid for his things, but before he could leave the store she grabbed his arm and led him over to another area of the store. She grabbed a pair of leather pants and several small looking shirts and pushed him into the changing rooms. Shrugging, Harry stripped and pulled the pants on. It was an odd feeling, wearing leather, but they did fit. As he was examining them in the mirror, the door opened behind him and he jumped in shock. Before he had time to even blink in confusion, the shop girl was on him and trying to pull his head down to hers.

Harry reacted on instinct. He pushed her away from him, hard. Of course, he wasn't quite expecting her to go flying through the door and land in a heap at the feet of the store manager who just happened to be walking past.

"What is going on here?" The red-faced man demanded.

Harry looked up in shock to see the irate manager and several security guards coming running. "The girl was assaulting me!"

The man's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?"

"I've spent the last two hours buying clothes here, and she insisted I try on another outfit. Then she comes in the dressing room as I'm changing and tries to assault me."

The man looked down at his employee, who was still staring at the bare-chested young man with a hungry look in her eyes, and then looked up at the young man in question. He could see several bags in the dressing room that the young man had already purchased, and recognised that the pants he was currently wearing were worth a fortune. He didn't want to lose that sale. "Of course, sir. Please accept our sincerest apologies and assurances that the young lady will be severely reprimanded. When you're finished trying on, I'd be happy to personally help you finish your shopping."

Harry nodded numbly. "Um, I'm just going to put my clothes back on. If you'll excuse me."

His hands were shaking slightly as he got dressed again. He had been expecting something like what he had seen happen around the Veela at the World Cup. Girls would stare at him, and maybe make up ridiculous claims to try and get his attention. He wasn't expecting outright assault. And he certainly hadn't intended to push her hard enough send her through the door behind her. He needed help in how to deal with this, and the problem was that he really didn't know who to go to for help.

Who could he trust to know the truth that wouldn't use it to try and control him?

* * *

Harry was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down to where the river wound its way through the valley below. He wasn't completely confident that this was going to work, and it was scaring him shitless. With a determined sigh, he pulled off his shirt and set it aside. If everything went according to plan he didn't want it being ripped to shreds. Then he placed his Firebolt right on the edge of the cliff, where it could be summoned if things didn't go according to plan. With one final breath, he jumped head first off the cliff.

The first few seconds were exhilarating, like a good dive on his broom. Then the fear set in, and he gritted his teeth to hold back the scream. The river was getting closer and nothing was happening. He brought his hand up to summon his broom when something started to happen. A moment later he was screaming as his back exploded in pain, and his eyes shut tight in fear. By the time he stopped screaming in pain, he knew he had missed his chance to summon his broom and now it would be too late. He only hoped the water would cushion his fall.

When he didn't crash after nearly a minute, he blinked one eye open and found himself suspended about a hundred feet above the river. With a sigh of relief, he twisted his head around to see behind him, and gasped in shock at the sight. Beating softly and obviously holding him aloft was a pair of black wings, nearly ten feet across.

With a shout of joy, he beat his wings experimentally, quickly learning how to control their movements and his own flight.

His Firebolt lay forgotten on the cliff above, completely eclipsed by what he could do without it.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass was sitting curled up under a large tree behind her home, staring blankly off into the distance. Her hand came down and absently pressed against the special spot on her hip that contained her devotion to Harry. It was all she was allowed to give him of herself, and even that small thing was likely to set off fireworks if her parents ever found out. And she could only imagine the reaction that her future husband would have if he recognised the gesture.

Her future husband. That was a horrible thought. She had looked at all the requests for her hand in marriage, and none of them were appealing. Sure, some of them were considerably better than others, but there was only one boy on the planet that had ever moved her in a way besides contemptuous indifference, and he was gone now. She didn't know what was worse: that he could never come back, or that she would, in a little less than a month, be forced to see him every day, and never be allowed to even speak to him. She would watch him fall in love with some lucky girl, and she would watch him save the world, and she would be sold to the highest bidder while he lived his life without her. Merlin, she hoped it wasn't Weasley or Granger. Harry deserved someone strong who would appreciate what they had.

Her heart broke further as she reviewed all the girls at Hogwarts that might catch his eye. Was it too much to hope that he fell for a nice girl like Susan Bones or Hannah Abbot? They might treat him right.

She had been aware of the way he was looking at her for the past few weeks; she had seen that look in his eye that told of his interest. Many times, she had bemoaned the fact that he was an honourable Gryffindor. She would have risked the wrath of her father to have the chance to be with him once. She knew she was destined for a life of being used by her husband; she only hoped he was a good enough man not to pass her around to his friends as well. Would it have been too much to ask for her to have one experience that she actually enjoyed?

She knew her father loved her, and wanted to choose the best possible husband for her. She knew he hoped she would fall in love with her intended like he had. Unfortunately, he did not realise that wasn't an option for her. Once you love Harry Potter, there is no going back.

At this point, the only thing she could hope for was that her intended would not be someone who was already openly supporting the Dark Lord. It would kill her to be forced, however unwillingly, to give her support to the man who was trying to kill her Harry.

Two tears tracked their way down her cheeks. Daphne did not often cry, but she was currently systematically acknowledging the destruction of every one of her dreams as well as her heart, and that was not to be taken lightly.

She wished on every power that she knew that things could be different; that her and Harry could have had a chance to be happy. She had no doubt that they would have been.

* * *

The tall red-headed man exuded confidence as he walked and drew stares from most of the females in the room as he made his way to the back corner where a silent figure sat hunched over in his seat trying to avoid attention, but as the females caught sight of this other young man, the redhead was completely forgotten. They were salivating within seconds.

Harry looked up when the chair across from him was pulled out and Bill Weasley sat down.

"Hi, Bill." He grimaced slightly as he noticed that his Notice-Me-Not charms must have failed. Every eye in the room was on him. Again.

Bill raised an eyebrow as he silently examined the much-changed young man in front of him. He hadn't seen Harry in quite awhile, but he was fairly confident, based on his mother's mutterings of how undernourished he was, that the lad hadn't looked anything like this a month ago when school got out. "Harry. You said it was important."

Harry nodded and held up his hand. A quickly murmured spell masked the sound from the rest of the pub and caused Bill to look even more curious. Bill's shrewd eyes were instantly drawn to the ring, and Harry was secretly impressed. No one else had guessed the source of his magic.

"Based on that little bit of magic, which I assume the Ministry won't be able to track or you wouldn't have done it, I would say that the Order's fears over your safety are pointless."

Harry shrugged. "I'm not too worried about the Order right now. I can take care of myself, and I have been for several weeks now."

Bill nodded. "That is good to know." He examined the young man before continuing. "Harry, I know all too well what it is like to want to get out from under those that would seek to control you, and that is the only reason I agreed to this little meet without bringing the cavalry with me. So why don't you get to the point."

"I've recently come into some... dormant powers, I guess you could say, and I was hoping you could help me learn how to deal with the fallout."

"And these powers would be..."

"What do you know about Sirens?"

Bill whistled and leaned back in his chair. "A crossbreed between Veela and Merfolk. Beauty, strength, partial control over the elements, rumoured to be able to fly, and intensely sexual in nature." Harry nodded. "And they are only ever women."

"Were, Bill. They only ever were women."

"Are you claiming..."

"Yes."

It was a testament to just how much Bill Weasley had seen in his short life that he managed to take this news without laughing hysterically, or leaving immediately in disgusted disbelief. "Very well. Assuming this to be true, which I'm having a rather hard time believing just now, what is it you want my help with?"

"I'm having trouble dealing with the... uh... enthusiastic response I tend to get from women."

Bill laughed. "You don't know how to deal with their flirting?"

Harry ducked his head shyly. "Yeah. Yesterday I was assaulted by the girl helping me pick out my new wardrobe, and today it took me a good twenty minutes to lose this one girl who was following me around on my way here, and an hour hidden behind repeatedly reapplied charms to get the ones in here to forget about me. Apparently, my spells have failed again." Harry paused and gestured around. Every female eye in the pub was on their little corner once more. "I've always been shy and never had a lot of luck in the romance department. I don't know how to deal with this."

"And you came to me because?"

"Aside from the fact that you are just cool and I got the impression that you had your fair share of admirers, you're dating a part-Veela. Surely you've seen her go through something similar."

Bill nodded. "Yes, but Veela have one very important difference from Sirens."

"Yeah, I know. I'm supposed to be monogamous, and there is only one person out there for me. The books I've read seem to imply that things will get better once I find her, but..." Harry paused and wrung his hands nervously. He spoke the rest staring down at the table. "I don't think that is going to happen any time soon."

Bill eyed him carefully. There was more going on here than Harry was telling him. "And why not? You could have already met her." Harry flinched, and Bill smiled. Yes, definitely something going on.

"No, it's not that. I just don't think it's a very good time for me to be getting involved with anyone like that. And besides, no one deserves all the trouble that would come with being with me. It was bad enough when I was just the Boy-Who-Lived. Now I'm the first male Siren ever. I can't ask anyone to deal with all that."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Harry, that thinking is going to get you killed, you know."

Harry shook his head violently. "No. I can't do that to someone. I won't."

"And then what is going to happen? I assume you know what happens if a Siren is unattached for long enough. And you know that the Ministry will use it as an excuse to put you down. They've been looking for a good reason to discredit you for years. You know this."

Harry's head shot up in horror. He hadn't considered that possibility. "They would do that?"

"Currently? Without a doubt. And if Dumbledore were to get his hands on you first he would probably force some girl on you to keep you contained; that can be done, you know. I'm guessing neither of those options sounds particularly appealing to you right now."

Harry's eyes were wide with terror. "Then what can I do?"

"The way I see it, you have two options. The first is that you give up on finding a permanent mate and act as an unattached Veela would. You take as many mates as you can simply to fulfil your need for intimacy." Harry cringed. The idea of doing that made his skin crawl. He had a hard enough time accepting that he would have to be sexually active with one girl, let alone several. "I can see that you don't really like that option and I commend you for it; most boys your age would jump at the chance. The other is that you get over yourself and allow nature to takes its course. You find your mate and bond with her, and then you will be able to protect her from anyone who might come after her. You do know that the Siren Bond is designed to protect the mate?"

Harry nodded. "That's what the books say. But isn't it just protection from anyone trying to legally break the bond?"

Bill chuckled. "I see you haven't had time to read much. I've actually come in contact with a Siren before, when I was in Egypt. They are more common over in that part of the world. There is much more to it than that. Yes, it will be impossible for anyone to use the law or magic to break you apart. But think about that. It means that it will be physically impossible for her to be taken to a location that is warded such that you cannot get in. Meaning she cannot be kidnapped to be used against you, or at the very least you would always be able to find her and get to her."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that."

"And there are also allusions to Sirens displaying extraordinary powers when their mate is threatened. And based on what I know about Siren bonds, and what I've experienced with Fleur, for quite awhile you won't want to be separated from her for more than an hour or two, so you will always be there to keep her safe if something were to happen. Really, you would effectively be making her the best guarded and safest person on the planet." Bill let him digest this for a few minutes. "Now, are you still opposed to taking a mate?"

Harry's head collapsed into his hands and he groaned. "How do I even find her?"

"By going out there and doing what Sirens do best: flirt."

Harry's head shot up and his jaw dropped open in shock. "Flirt? But... I don't know how!"

"Are you telling me that you've never chatted up a cute girl?"

Harry flushed briefly before schooling his features. "I have no idea how to flirt. I took Parvati to the Yule Ball and it was an utter disaster. She wouldn't even talk to me for weeks afterwards. I took Cho on one date last year and she ran off halfway through. My track record with girls isn't very good."

Bill grinned. "Now why don't you tell me about the other one, the one that had you blushing like mad a minute ago?"

Harry's face went blank. "It doesn't matter, it never could have worked."

Bill glared at him. "Well it won't work if you are already thinking like a coward."

Harry returned the look. "I am not a coward."

"Then prove it. Tell me about this girl of yours, because by the way you're acting, I think you already know what she means to you. And then I'll teach you some tricks for innocent flirting and we'll go and get her."

Harry huffed, but Bill merely sat there, his arms folded across his chest, waiting. Finally, Harry relented and told of a sweet girl with beautiful blue eyes who had never asked him to be anything other than just Harry.

* * *

Daphne stared at her friend in shock. "You cannot possibly be serious."

Tracey rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. You need a night out. You're brooding, and it isn't good for you."

"You know I don't like that sort of thing."

Tracey grinned. "But that's the beauty of it. It will be completely anonymous, so there are no worries. No one will even know who you are, so you don't have to wear your mask. You can find some smart looking bloke to take your mind off of... whoever it is you aren't telling me about that you spent all last month with."

Daphne glared at her. "I'm not going to get over him in one night. I'm in love with him, for Merlin's sake."

Tracey gave her friend a sad look of understanding. "And he's unsuitable for some reason?"

Daphne nodded. "Several reasons, actually. I can't even mention him to father. He would have my head."

Tracey sighed. "I'm sorry, Daph."

Daphne flinched. "Please don't call me that?" Tracey gave her a confused look. "That's what he..."

"Oh! Okay. Now, I'm going to get you ready to break even more hearts, and you are going to try and forget about your mystery man for a night."

Daphne didn't have the heart to tell her how impossible that was for her.

* * *

Harry Potter was a nervous wreck. Bill had been coaching him in Flirting 101 for two days, and they had taken several trips out into the Muggle world where his skills were put to the test. The trick was to flirt back enough so the girl didn't become desperate enough to do anything drastic, but not enough so that she was encouraged. It was a delicate balance, and Harry wasn't very comfortable with what it required of him, but it had allowed him to move about without fear of getting jumped. Bill explained that he thought Harry's allure would calm dramatically once he was mated, however, eliminating the necessity of him having to always act this way. Then, this morning, they had visited Fleur and she had spent several hours explaining what techniques she used to control her own allure, as well as giving him some other useful information. He paused at the door, and whispered to Bill.

"How do you even know she is going to be here?"

Bill chuckled. "Did I ever tell you that I was best mates with a kid named Taylor Davis in school?" Harry shook his head no. "Turns out his little sister Tracey is best friends with your girl. It wasn't hard for Taylor to convince her that some poor sod is pinning after Daphne and that they should play matchmaker tonight."

Harry growled. "Did you tell him it was me?"

"Nope. Though you might want to put a glamour on that scar of yours. This is a very popular Wizarding nightclub, and we don't need the chance of anyone spotting us. You're probably going to be drawing enough attention as it is."

Harry nodded and gave a brief wave of his hand. Since no one had yet seen his new look, it was the only way most anyone would be able to identify him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Bill clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course. Now, let's go and get our flirt on. It's not often Fleur gives me permission to flirt with other girls. She's usually right jealous if I even look at them."

Harry gave a weak chuckle as they moved into the room that was teeming with people and music. Though he had learned a lot from Fleur this morning, he was quite glad that he was Siren instead of Veela. Bill had explained how he would never be enough for her. So, despite the fact that she loved him, she often took other lovers on the side to satisfy her. It was the only way for Bill to keep her, unless he turned into her sex slave 24 hours a day. Harry knew that, if this worked out, Daphne would have to give up quite a bit of time to being with him, but several of the journals he had read of various Sirens told how they were often satisfied with other forms of intimacy besides sex. So he would have to be near her a lot, and would no doubt have a voracious sexual appetite, but it was perfectly possible for her to satisfy him on her own. Most accounts stated that he wouldn't even consider being with someone else once mated, and Harry had repeatedly thanked his lucky stars for that.

Of course, that was assuming that Daphne was even his mate, or that she would accept her role. Which was assuming an awful lot.

Bill's strategy was simple. Harry wanted to be sure Daphne was special, and so he was being dumped in a room so dark and full he could barely make anyone out. If he was meant to be with her, he would find her. In the meantime, he was instructed to flirt and dance with everyone in his path.

He wasn't entirely comfortable with this plan.

The second Harry stepped onto the dance floor he was almost immediately surrounded by girls. He picked one at random and drew her closer to dance with. He was almost immediately grateful for the lessons Fleur had provided earlier in the day. The girl didn't seem interested in talking, which was perhaps a good thing as he doubted he could have heard a thing she said, and spent most of her time gently caressing his chest and arms.

It took until his third dance, with a new girl each time, for Harry to begin to get comfortable. Eventually, he gave up thinking about what he was doing and simply allowed himself to enjoy it. After this shift occurred, the time passed much more swiftly. Each time a dance would end, he would raise his partner's hand to his mouth and kiss the back, then turn to find the next girl waiting for him. Almost every one of them offered herself up for a kiss at some point in her dance, and some a bit more than that, but Harry used his extra height and strength to steer well clear of this. He didn't mind dancing with them, but kissing was something else entirely, and he couldn't even consider the thought of anything more. It made his stomach turn.

Daphne stood on the side of the dance floor, moving stiffly next to Tracey. She couldn't believe she had allowed her friend to talk her into coming here. It definitely wasn't her type of scene. Her eyes swept the floor and came to a grounding halt. Standing in the middle of the floor, surrounded by adoring females and dancing closely with a shapely blonde, was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He was tall, and built, and her hands itched to run over his muscles. She felt disgusted with this desire; never before had she allowed the physical to impair her judgement. And yet, her breath was short and her entire body felt like a live wire as she looked at him. He made her want to do things that she had sworn never to even consider. For the first time since Harry had left, she felt the unmistakable tingle of arousal throughout her body. When she was finally able to tear her eyes away from the way his tight shirt stretched across his chest, she squinted as she tried to get a good look at his face. It was mostly hidden in shadow, but she could see the strong jaw line and dark hair. It looked blue in this light. Odd. With a jolt, Daphne forced herself to look at the floor instead. She didn't want that strange man. She wanted Harry. She just needed to remind her body of that fact.

After too many dances for him to count, Harry began to wonder why he wasn't growing tired. Instead, each dance seemed to give him more energy, and he wanted nothing more than to continue. He had tried to move around and search for Daphne, but the place was so crowded and he was in such high demand it was difficult. He was currently dancing with a brunette that seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place her. He was pleased that she didn't try to kiss him. With a last note, the music came to an end, and Harry took her hand and kissed the back. He flashed a smile to her and pivoted slightly. She had been dancing with a friend prior to their dance, and he figured he should offer to dance with her friend next. He turned to her and had to catch himself before he stumbled in surprise. He could barely even see her, and yet this girl was unmistakably beautiful. She had long dark hair, and he squinted, unable to make out the colour. Her figure made him itch to get his hands on her, something that shocked him mildly, as he had been carefully avoiding all offers to do such with anyone else for the entire night. She was looking down at the floor, so he merely held out a hand in invitation. His energy level was at an all time high, and he could practically feel it racing through his veins. He was actually excited about this dance.

She shook her head and walked away, her friend's hand clasped tightly in her own.

Harry gaped after her in shock. Just as she reached the edge of the dance floor, a beam of light fell across her face and he drew in a sharp breath, elation filling him for only a brief second before the despair set in.

Daphne.

And she had walked away from him.

His shoulders slumped and the energy he had only moments before drained out of his body. He turned towards the door and tried to struggle through the crowd to get to it, but the press of bodies wouldn't let up and he found himself constantly shaking his head at invitations to dance. The girls around him pressed even closer, and he found it hard to breathe.

He had to get out of here.

With an almighty roar, his hand shot up and blasted a hole in the ceiling. All around him the club went silent in shock. His hand came back down and with a push towards the floor he levitated himself until his torso cleared the crowd, and then his wings exploded out of his back. He was heading out into the sky before the tatters of his shirt even hit the floor.

The crowd erupted behind him. On the side of the dance floor, two friends were starring in awe at where the man... bird... whatever he was had disappeared into the night. Within minutes, the Aurors had arrived and were taking statements from witnesses. No one seemed to know what to make of it. Things had quieted down by the time the lead Auror began questioning a tall red-headed man, and most of the club heard his answer.

"Why, of course I know what that was. He is the first male Siren in... well, ever. I'm not sure what made him take off like that. To tell the truth, I didn't even know he had figured out how to use his wings."

The club went dead silent.

"Siren, you say?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure, Bill?"

Bill smirked. "Of course I am, Kingsley."

"And just who was this Siren."

Bill's smile fell. "I can't tell you that."

The Auror did not appear to be amused. "I'm not giving you the option, Weasley."

Bill met his gaze confidently. "And you and I both know there are certain people that we are bound to protect at all times."

Kingsley's eyes widened in shock. "You mean... but, that's impossible!"

Bill shrugged. "So you say."

Kingsley shook himself. "Okay, we won't ask who it was. Do you know what caused him to leave like that? And what was he doing here in the first place? I thought he was supposed to be..."

"I brought him tonight, as social practice, I guess you might say. He needs to get the hang of dealing with this, and quickly."

Kingsley shot Bill a look. "You brought a Siren into a crowded club? Have you any idea what could have happened?"

"You know as well as I do that would only happen to an unattached Siren."

"You mean he has already found his mate?"

"I think so. At least, the boy is nearly gaga over her. That's what we were doing here tonight; we knew she was supposed to be here."

"So where is she?"

Bill shrugged. "No idea. I assume he must not have been able to find her. And I wasn't with him when he left, so I don't know what happened."

Kingsley reached up and ran a hand over his head. "Fine." He turned to the crowd who was listening to the conversation avidly. "Does anyone know what caused him to leave?"

Several young women raised their hands. The bravest answered first. "He had danced all night long, one dance for every girl, and then he would move on. Then he stopped dancing and tried to fight his way off the dance floor. But it was too crowded. That was when he left."

"And no one knows what upset him so much that he needed to leave."

"Um, I might." Kingsley turned to the girl, a petite blonde, and motioned for her to continue. "He had danced with a girl and then he offered his hand to another, like he had been all night."

"And..."

"And the girl wouldn't take his hand."

Kingsley looked sceptical. "So he went insane because someone turned him down."

The girl shrugged. "I guess."

"Who was it?"

She raised her hand and pointed.

The beautiful girl merely stared back coldly. "You must be mistaken."

Kingsley strode over to her, Bill hot on his heels. "What is your name, Miss?"

"Daphne Greengrass, sir."

"Bloody hell!" Bill exclaimed. "Well isn't this just a fine mess!"

Kingsley turned to him. "What in the blazes are you talking about, Bill?"

"I told you that I thought H... he had found his mate?" Kingsley nodded. "Well, this is her."

"What!" Daphne exclaimed, her mask slipping dangerously. "Some guy I've never even met thinks I'm destined to be his and when I won't dance with him he starts blasting holes in buildings? You people are bloody insane!"

Bill turned to her. "You assumed wrong, Miss Greengrass. I never said you had never met him."

"But... but I don't know a Siren."

Bill smiled gently down at the confused girl. "Let me tell you a story, while my pal Kingsley here obliviates all of this from the rest of these people. We don't want anyone to find out about this." Daphne nodded dumbly and allowed Bill to lead her over to a seat. Tracey followed along behind quietly. "A few days ago a very good friend of mine came to me for help. It seems that he had only recently undergone the transformation into a Siren, and he was a little out of his depth. He wanted my help in how to stave off the hormonal masses of women that were after his body. Do you know much about Sirens?"

Daphne nodded. "We had a lesson about them last year."

"Then you know that they have always had one mate, which they find early, and are incredibly devoted to?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"My friend was worried about this. He didn't want to trap a girl into such a relationship. He feels that it is... dangerous to be associated with him." Daphne's brow scrunched as she tried to figure out who he was talking about. She knew who she wanted it to be, but refused to allow herself that hope. It would do no good to delude herself again. "I convinced him that it was better to allow nature to take its course, so that he could protect her, instead of releasing an unattached Siren on the world."

"But what does this have to do with me?"

"It didn't take me long to start to think that he already had someone in mind. After a bit of prodding, I got it out of him. Ever since I've greatly enjoyed teasing him about you; it makes him blush spectacularly. He told me how he had spent quite a bit of time with you recently, but had been forced to leave, and that he didn't think circumstance would ever allow him to be close to you again."

Her eyes went wide, and excitement shot through her body. "Ha..." She was cut off as Bill's hand came up to cover her mouth.

"Do you really want everyone to know his name?" She shook her head furiously, so he dropped his hand. "I convinced him to come tonight, and may have had a little help getting you here." He nodded his head in Tracey's direction, who was studiously examining her fingernails. "He was bidding his time, looking for you, and then..."

"And then I wouldn't dance with him." Her voice was broken, and Bill watched sympathetically as her face went deathly pale. "But... I didn't even know he felt that way about me. Or, at least, he never actually said anything to me."

"As I said, the kid has this idea that everyone near him dies. And given his history, his believing that isn't all that shocking. But now we need to fix this. First things first: why wouldn't you dance with him? He was under the impression that you had shown interest in him before."

She fought her sobs and lost, and buried her head in her hands. "And that's why! I didn't know that was him, and I didn't want anything to do with anyone else!"

Bill sighed and drew the smaller girl into his chest. The fact that the usually calm girl was breaking down meant she might just be as deep into this as Harry was; there was hope. His hands rubbed comforting circles on her back. When she had calmed enough to hear him, he spoke quietly in her ear. "Then it isn't too late to fix this. You know the legends of the Sirens. He needs his mate, and he is convinced that is you. If you aren't prepared to be that for him, then it is better if you walk away right now."

She pushed away from him, fire in her blue eyes. "How could you even say such a thing?"

Bill grinned. "Good, I was hoping that would be your reaction. Now we just need to find him."

Her face fell. "But how? He has those bloody wings, he could be anywhere!"

"I don't think that will be as hard as you think."

As she followed him out of the club, Daphne wondered just when her life had spiralled so far out of her normal routine, and why she was so willing to let it happen.

* * *

Daphne had no idea what she was heading towards. It seemed like her carefully constructed life was being turned completely on its head tonight, and she was floundering while trying to keep up.

She didn't know if she would have believed this strange man about Harry if she hadn't seen for herself. But there was no way to deny the huge wings that had erupted from his back. And, even more, the reaction her own body had to him convinced her that he really was her Harry.

She turned to the man at her side. "Who are you?"

"Bill Weasley."

She stiffened. Her only contact with Weasleys did not leave her a lot of trust for the family. "And Harry went to you for help?"

Bill chuckled. "Yeah. He claimed I was the cool brother who knew how to deal with females. And, I'm dating Fleur Delacour, a part-Veela, so I know something about what he is going through."

She nodded. She remembered the Veela. It had been a year of blessed relief from being the most sought after girl at Hogwarts. "And he told you about me?"

"Yeah." Bill paused to send another one of those silvery messages that were too fast for her to see clearly, and they changed course slightly to follow it. "Took a bit for me to convince him that mating with anyone was a good idea. And then I had to get him to tell me about you, which was like pulling teeth at first. He claimed there was no way it could work." Bill shot her a look. "I imagine that is because of your family and house?"

"Yes. We had talked about how we couldn't even be friends at Hogwarts." She sighed. "I told him about my family's politics, and my father's expectations for me."

"Does he know that your father is probably negotiating for your contract?"

"No." She said in a small voice. "I didn't want to make him mad when there was nothing either of us could do."

"And now?"

"I... well... doesn't a Siren Bond override any other form of commitment?"

"Yes."

"Then we can be together without interference from anyone else."

Bill stopped walking and put out a hand to stop her. "I'm dating a part-Veela, and have seen firsthand how sexual they can be. My girlfriend, who loves me, has to take other partners because I cannot satisfy her alone. But even then, she generally wears me out. She wants me all the time, and in every way." Daphne visibly swallowed. "I know that Harry will be monogamous, which I must say I'm insanely jealous of, but he will still have that sexual drive, though it shouldn't be quite as strong as a Veela. Are you prepared to handle that?"

Daphne blushed faintly and shrugged. "How can I know? I've never so much as kissed a boy, nor have I ever wanted to. But with Harry, I want to do so much more. And if I have to give him what he needs in exchange for the chance to be with him, then that is a sacrifice I am able to accept." She chose not to mention how her mind had been conjuring various methods of jumping him as they walked. Somehow, she didn't think her sacrifice would be very trying at all.

Bill nodded and sent out another silvery message. "And have you considered the non-Siren issues? Harry is hunted and hounded by everyone. Dumbledore has a contingent out looking for him, the Ministry has Aurors searching, and Voldemort is tearing up the country to find him. The press never leaves him alone, the entire country watches his every move, and this is only going to get worse when word gets out about what he is. You have to be able to handle all of that."

She twisted her hands nervously. "If we are Siren Bound, it means that we can never be separated, right?"

"That's right."

"Then I can handle it. I think I can help him deal with a lot of that better than he has in the past, and if Harry can keep Dumbledore or the Dark Lord from tearing us apart, then I'll help him with the rest."

"Good. And you need to be ready for the storm from his friends, as well. Many of them won't be happy with Harry mating with a Slytherin."

She smiled. "Some of them even with the last name of Weasley?"

Bill chuckled. "Yes, the female Weasleys are going to blow a gasket. I don't know how Ron will take it; it probably depends on how he finds out about it. You might want to have Harry tell him before the rest of the world hears about it."

She nodded. "Thank you for the advice."

A fourth messenger left his wand. "I'm always here if either of you need me, Daphne. Harry is a good kid, and if you're what he wants, then I'll help you both."

She smiled. "Thank you, Bill."

They came to a stop at the edge of a cliff. Where the last messenger had disappeared directly below them. "He's down there, all right, but now we have to get him to come up."

* * *

Harry was on the face of a great cliff, perched precariously on a small outcropping of rock. His wings were folded over his head, keeping the rain out of his face; they seemed to be impervious to water. His arms were wrapped tightly around his legs, and his head was buried against his knees. He didn't even look up when a silver glow fell in front of him. This was the third time Bill had sent a Patronus; he didn't care to answer.

Harry knew what would happen now. The instant he had seen her face, before it had penetrated his brain that she obviously didn't want him, he had known without a shadow of a doubt that Daphne was it for him. But in the next instant had come the realisation that she didn't feel the same way. He had been reading his books carefully, and he knew it was possible to force the mate bond onto someone, but he would never do that. Daphne did not want him, and he would be a danger to the world if he remained without her. He had thought briefly about simply isolating himself from everyone before he lost control, but that was what the ancient Greek Sirens had tried, and still some had managed to find them. It would probably just be better if he let Voldemort find him, then he wouldn't live long enough for the madness to set in.

The silver glow was back again. This time Bill hadn't even bothered to send a message; the silver sphinx simply sat there, watching him. Harry ignored her.

A sound pierced the monotony of the rain around him, and Harry twitched before throwing it off. It was probably just someone up on the cliff face above. It was nothing to do with him. He curled into himself more and shifted his wings. They should hide him from view of anyone, blending in to the dark rock behind and beneath him.

The quiet of the rain was rent once more, this time by a scream. "Harry!"

His head shot up. That had sounded like... but, no, that wasn't possible. Why was fate so cruel to him, he thought. He was even hearing her in the wind now.

"Harry! Please, come back to me! Please, Harry!"

The scream faded out, but Harry could still hear the words echoing in his head. He was still looking up when Bill's sphinx came once more down the side of the cliff.

"Please, Harry. She's going hysterical, and she refuses to leave this spot until you come back up."

Harry eyed the fading Patronus carefully, trying to decide if he believed it. He had never known Bill to lie, but he hadn't actually said it was Daphne up there with him. But it had sounded just like her. Harry stared out into the night for a good five minutes before deciding that it couldn't really hurt to check. He could probably even fly up there without any of them seeing him, so that he would be free to leave when she wasn't there. With a sigh, he simply fell off his perch into the open air, and spread his wings to catch himself. It only took a few beats of his wings before he was on top of the cliff, where he could easily make out Bill's red hair. Standing next to him was another figure, and even with the heavy rain Harry knew who it was. She was stunning as she stood there in the pouring rain.

Quietly, he landed on his feet in front of them and folded his wings behind him, his back tingling as they disappeared. He maintained careful control of himself, despite the fact that Daphne was standing just in front of him with red eyes. "Bill, Daphne," he greeted.

"Harry, you daft prat!" Bill exclaimed. "What did you run off for?"

Harry's eyes cut to Daphne's for a brief moment before he looked away again. She was staring at him with an odd expression on her face, and he couldn't bear to see it. "You know the dangers if I lose control of myself now, Bill. I will not subject anyone to that."

"You left too soon, Harry."

He shook his head furiously. "No, I left just in time."

"And did you have to blow a ruddy hole in the ceiling and fly off? It's going to take Kingsley and his boys all night to obliviate everyone that was in that bar." Bill did not mention that he had had to extract a rather elaborate oath from Kingsley not to mention a word of Harry's identity to anyone.

Harry shrugged. At the time, he had felt like it was his only option.

"Harry?" Her voice was quiet and strained, but he couldn't stop himself from looking at her as soon as she spoke. He had to clench his fists and grit his teeth to stop himself from moving towards her. "Is it really you?"

His eyes slid closed in horror. She hadn't even recognised him; he had never even had a chance. He nodded sharply, before opening his eyes. "That day that I had to leave? It was for the inheritance ritual that triggered my transformation."

"And you came back, tonight, for me?"

He gave another sharp nod.

Harry was staring at her so intensely it was easy for him to see when her own tears joined the rain trailing down her cheeks. "Oh, Harry! I didn't know it was you tonight, and... and I didn't want to be with anyone else, so I said no."

Harry took a staggering step backwards, his eyes blinking owlishly. He didn't notice the crack as Bill disapparated out. "You... but... what?"

"If I had recognised that it was you, I would have said yes, Harry." She gave a small smile. "But you have to admit that it isn't particularly shocking that I didn't recognise you." Her eyes lingered on his bare chest. "I wasn't exactly expecting you to turn into every female's fantasy in less than a week!"

He gave a small grin and ducked his head. "Yeah. It was shocking to me, too. And then I had all these girls after me and I didn't know what to do." He looked up and met her eyes. "At least people aren't staring at my scar anymore."

She laughed. "No, no one in the club tonight even recognised you. They were too busy ogling you."

"Even you?"

She blushed. "I may have excellent self control, but I'm not that good, Potter."

His nerves were starting to get to him, but he didn't think he was capable of stopping there, so he continued. "And do you like what you see?"

She took two steps closer so that she had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. A thrill ran through her when she discovered just how much taller he was now. She liked that he was so physically dominating compared to her. "Oh, yes. While you were, apparently, struggling to get off the dance floor, I was having a nervous breakdown in the corner. Tracey was trying to convince me that it was okay that I was attracted to someone else even though I..."

He took another step closer, until mere inches separated them. "Even though what?"

"Even though I spent the last three weeks in a daze over you."

He grinned. "I'm glad the feeling was mutual."

"Oh, it was. Believe me."

"And is it still?"

"What do you think? I chased you out here, didn't I?"

He shrugged. "I was worried Bill talked you into coming so that he could find me. He knew he wouldn't get me to come up without you."

She smiled. "And then he left us alone why?"

Harry looked around in shock. "Oh! I didn't realise he had left."

She nodded. "But in answer to your question, I fell for you in spite of who you are, and I still feel that way despite what you are." She watched in fascination as he swallowed nervously before speaking.

"And do you know what that would mean for you?"

"You mean what it would mean for me to be the mate of a Siren?" He nodded. "Yes. Professor Grubby-Plank covered them last term, remember?"

"I must have missed that day."

She nodded. "Yes, I think you did." Her hand came up and cupped his cheek, causing him to suck in a sharp breath and lean into it. "I know that due to your nature you may be very... demanding in your physical needs, and that I will be bound to you for the rest of my life. But I also know that you will forever be faithful, and love me with an intensity I cannot even begin to fathom."

"I do, you know. Love you, I mean." He blurted out.

She giggled. "Very romantic there, Potter."

He blushed lightly. "Hey, this is all new to me. Bill has been giving me flirting lessons for days."

Her eyes narrowed. "I better be the only recipient of those skills, Potter."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Um, sometimes I have to use them to keep girls from jumping me. But I never touch them, I swear! I don't even like being around them. And Fleur thinks I won't even have to do that with you there. At least, I hope. It's a little unnerving, actually."

She laughed. "My poor, sexy, Siren." Her eyes fell and lingered on his chest as she said this.

He growled, and stepped the half of a step closer until they were touching. "Yes, I'm _your_ Siren." His hands came up and gently cradled her face. "If you'll have me, I'll be yours for the rest of my life."

"There was never any doubt, Mr. Potter." Her arms came up and wrapped tightly around his neck, pulling her up his body so that she moulded to his hard frame. "Let's do this," she said with conviction.

"Now?" He asked in surprise.

"Of course." She answered matter-of-factly.

"Shouldn't we talk to your parents first?" He thought it would only be appropriate that he meet her parents before he claimed her as his own.

She laughed quietly. "They are going to be ecstatic that I'm participating in such an ancient ritual. Though I imagine that father will be a bit put out that he'll have to end negotiations for my betrothal. We might have to offer to pay him the bride price he was expecting." She wasn't telling the complete truth here. She had no doubt that would eventually be their reaction, but they would certainly have some... unpleasantness to get through to get to that point. But Harry didn't need to be worrying about that right now. And she knew it was better to wait to approach her father until after he had lost the ability to keep them apart. She was also hoping he respond to the mention about her betrothal.

That was a foolish hope.

Harry stiffened in her arms. "Negotiations for your betrothal?"

She sighed. She just knew he was going to be upset about that. "Calm down, love. It is the way of most old families."

"He was going to sell you?" His arms were tight around her, as if he was trying to physically keep anyone from taking her away.

"Most probably. But now he won't need to. If you would get around to that ceremony!"

Harry didn't think he would ever be okay with the knowledge that Daphne was going to be sold to the highest bidder, but he decided now wasn't the time to dwell on it. It helped that he was about to prevent that from ever happening. Instead, he gathered her into his arms and pulled out a plain emerald ribbon from his pocket. "Hold this with me?"

She nodded and pulled one hand down from where it was playing with his hair. The minute her hand covered his, the ribbon between them, a flash of red was all that was left on the face of the cliff. They reappeared in the middle of a circle of stones, and Daphne stared around her in shock, not even noticing the drying charm Harry applied to both of their clothes.

"Harry," she whispered. "Are we at Stonehenge?"

"Yes. The ceremony must be performed in a protected circle. This is the closest one to us."

"Oh." It was a great honour to be allowed to perform magic at Stonehenge, an honour her family was rarely allowed. She wondered at the casual way he approached it; typically, one had to apply through various Druidic councils to be allowed to do so. It was rather strange, given this, that they were able to simply appear here and use the circle for the entire night.

He led her gently to the centre of the circle and sat down on the ground. He held his hand out to help her down into his lap, and, once she was settled, wrapped both arms around her waist. He took a small knife from the inside of his left boot and pricked his thumb before replacing it. He took his thumb and smeared his blood down the entirety of the ribbon. He took her hand, placed the back of it against his palm, and entwined his fingers through hers, then placed the bloodied ribbon in her palm. He was briefly amused with the fact that she didn't even flinch at this. The Greengrass family was used to ancient rituals.

"Σου δίνω τη μαγεία μου. Η ζωή μου πάντα δική σου. Σε εσένα θα είμαι αληθινός πάνω από όλους, τα δικαιώματα σου και η θέλιδη σου θα είναι οι οδηγοί μου. Μαγεία σφράγισαι αυτη την υπόθεση για πάντα." (My magic I give to you. My life forever yours. To you I will be true above all others, your rights and will always my guide. Magic seal this promise for always.)

There was a flash of brilliant red light, and when Daphne blinked her eyes the ribbon was gone from the palm of her hand.

"Where..."

His free hand came up and scooped her hair away from her neck, and he placed a tender kiss there. "Here."

She brought her hand up and felt the ribbon that now adorned her neck. "Oh."

"It will rest there for the rest of my life."

She turned gently in his lap until she was straddling him, one leg folded up on either side of him. "Am I yours now?"

His head came back down and nuzzled against her throat. "No, I am yours. I pledged my very existence to you." He placed a row of kisses along her ribbon. "There is just one more thing to do."

Her head was thrown back at his ministrations and she was finding it hard to breath. "And what is that?"

His lips travelled up the long column of her neck. "I've given you my magic and life. Now I must give you my body."

"What horrors I am forced to endure," she breathed. Her heart was racing at the thought of what was to come, her entire body quivering in anticipation.

He kissed his way along her jaw until he held his mouth a hairs breadth away from hers. "If it is anything like my dreams have been, I don't think you'll be complaining much. I know I won't."

And, finally, he lowered his mouth and kissed her. He didn't waste time on sweet kisses, invading her mouth instantly and claiming every inch of it.

Before Daphne was even aware of it, she was on her back with Harry pressing down into her. Without ever removing his mouth from hers, his hands explored every inch of her body, and she didn't even pause to wonder what had happened to her clothes. When his hands had grown adequately acquainted with her, and brought her to bliss no less than three times as she screamed into his mouth, he finally moved his mouth down to begin a new exploration. She had time to wonder how she had been breathing all this time before his lips found her breasts, and brought her to bliss once more. Then they continued to learn every inch of her body. When he drew down to her hips, however, he pulled back and stared up at her eyes.

"What's this?" He asked as his fingers gently traced along the emerald green lightning bolt inked into her hip.

She blushed, and Harry's eyes tracked it all the way down her body. "I got that the day after you left. To remind me."

He growled and dropped his head back down, where he proceeded to worship that bit of skin until she was moaning and writhing beneath him. Then he moved lower and her screams rent the air. It seemed to her that bliss flowed into bliss for an eternity before he withdrew and continued his exploration with her legs. She had managed to regain a small bit of her equilibrium by the time she felt his mouth on her foot, but then his eyes shot up to hers and he slowly crawled back up her quivering body. His hand went flat against her stomach and glowed briefly for a moment.

"That spell will keep until I release it," he murmured. "It is safer, with my nature, if we don't have to use a charm each time." She grinned in thanks. His knee nudged her legs apart until he settled between them, and with their eyes connected he took her.

Daphne had more than just a passing knowledge of the intimacy between a man and a woman, despite having never participated herself. Slytherin house was often a hotbed of such activity. But everything she knew and had witnessed could never have prepared her for this. She screamed with ecstasy as he moved, her hands raking down his back simply trying to hold on. With one final crescendo, Harry threw back his head and roared as he released into her, causing her own fall into joy one last time.

He collapsed on top of her, his head once more nuzzling her neck as he placed tired kisses along her ribbon. Eventually, he rolled with her and pulled her on top of him; she was grateful that she didn't have to remove an inch of her skin from his. His hand came up and she felt a blanket fall across her back.

"Sleep now, my Daphne."

She smiled happily. "I love you." His hands tightened around her at her declaration. She wondered if anyone had ever told him that before.

"And I love you as no man has loved a woman before."

She giggled. "You can't know that."

"Ah, but I can. You forget that I am the first male of my kind. Even my cousins, the Veela, are always female. And my capacity for love is greater than that of a human."

"Hmmm," she hummed. "I think I like that." She snuggled deeper into his chest. "Sleep, please, Harry."

"Yes, my love. Sleep now, and let me keep the world at bay."

* * *

A/N: So I hoped that lived up to your expectations. As always, I look forward to your thoughts and opinions.

Currently, this story looks to be about nine chapters total, though there are still some missing scenes in the later chapters I'm working on, so it is possible that might change.


	3. Chapter 3

Voldemort could not understand why he had spent most of the night in an amorous mood. He rarely ever felt the need to slake his physical urges; and yet, tonight, he could not fight the passion that was flowing through his veins. It was making it difficult for him to concentrate, and finally he gave up. He called Lucius into his room and demanded that all the new female recruits come in and service him.

He needed to get whatever this was out of his system so he could return to more important things. It would simply not do for the Dark Lord to be a slave to the desires of a physical body. He transcended the physical realm.

* * *

Harry had fallen asleep not long after Daphne last night, but the rising sun woke him up a few short hours later. He felt energised and refreshed in a way he never had before, and he wondered how much of that was from the witch who was currently sleeping on top of him. He had known, academically, that he would crave intimacy, but he was beginning to think it was more than that. He had been functioning relatively normally for the past week, but yesterday, when he thought he had lost Daphne, he had barely had enough energy to fly. That lack of energy did not last very long after she came for him, however. And now, he had barely slept at all and yet he felt as rested as if he had slept for twelve hours.

He was intensely grateful that he would never again have to be without her.

She stirred slightly in her sleep and his arms tightened around her reflexively. After a moment of thought, his right hand glowed briefly red. He didn't want her sore from his enthusiasm.

He had never imagined that last night would ever happen to him. For all his bumbling earlier with flirting and his discomfort over how to deal with girls, he had never expected that the physical actions of love would come so naturally. He had needed no guidance to know exactly what to do last night, though Fleur had provided quite a bit. He was also fairly certain that the evening before was not typical for such encounters. Though he had never participated in any such things himself, he had been privy to numerous conversations in his dorm room over the last five years. And even when some of the older boys were bragging about their conquests, they had never claimed to do what he had done last night. He vividly remembered the conversation he had overheard between a handful of seventh years during his third year where one of the boys was claiming to have brought his girlfriend to completion four times the night before. None of his mates had believed him.

If Harry had not lost count, he had hit nine last night. He wondered if he could beat that.

He suspected this had to do with the fact that he seemed to have the innate ability to control when he released. This allowed him to give Daphne pleasure after pleasure before he was required by his body to find his own. It certainly was more enjoyable than the tales he had heard Dean and Seamus tell last year. They had ended embarrassingly early their first few times with a girl. He also wondered if the Siren Bond had given her some measure of strength to keep up with him.

He was supremely glad that Daphne had seemed so passionate, as he knew he would easily wear her out otherwise. (Though he made a mental note to make sure and use healing spells on her routinely until she got used to it.) He was also elated that he was a Siren and not a Veela. Veela were notorious for taking multiple lovers to sate their desire. And despite the handful of dreams he had had about such, he was a teenage boy and so he was fairly certain such fantasies were unavoidable, he really couldn't much stomach the idea. All of his life, he had dreamed of having his own family, of having someone that was just for him and that he could devote himself to. He knew that the situation he now found himself in was a little extreme for that scenario, but it was his, nonetheless. He couldn't fathom sharing Daphne, and hence in his mind that meant she should never have to share him. Turnabout is fair play, and all.

He guessed it would be hours before Daphne was up, and so he busied himself thinking. He knew things were about to drastically change. He would need to meet Daphne's parents, and he hoped they would understand what he had done. He knew there was nothing they could do about it now, but he would prefer that she not lose her family to be with him. In addition, he would need to have a chat with Professor McGonagall. They would need alternate accommodations during the school year, and he would rather approach her than the Headmaster. But that brought up another issue. He would have to deal with Dumbledore soon, if he didn't want to have to hide from the man for the foreseeable future. He also needed to tell Daphne the truth about the prophecy. He cringed. Perhaps he should have mentioned that before he bound her.

And that was a whole other issue. He needed to deal with Voldemort. And while he was undoubtedly more powerful than he used to be, he had trouble seeing how that would help him against Voldemort. He needed to train, and, for his own peace of mind, he needed to train Daphne with him. He began making plans as his hands traced light patterns on Daphne's back underneath the blanket.

The sun was past its prime in the sky by the time Daphne began to wake up. Harry could tell the moment she became aware of where she was, as her entire body froze. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Good morning, my love."

Her head popped up off of his chest and she smiled at him. "How long have you been up?"

"Awhile. I seem to have quite a bit of energy today."

She smirked and shifted deliberately on top of him. "Really?" Her hands began to languorously explore his body. "We'll have to do something about that."

Her hands trailed lower. "Um... shouldn't we go see your parents?"

She turned her head and started kissing trails across his chest as her hand reached its destination. "Later. Much later."

Harry fought for several minutes to remember what it was he knew they needed to do today, but his mind went completely blank when Daphne shifted and her mouth replaced her hand. His moans tore through the air as she worked him, until they turned to screams. Afterwards, he lay panting on the ground, eying Daphne's proud smirk.

"Pleased with yourself, are you?"

She giggled. "Oh how the mighty Siren has fallen!"

He growled and launched himself at her. One of his hands gathered hers into a tight grip and pinned them to the ground above her head as she squealed. In one swift movement, he was loving her and his mouth was attached firmly to her breast. She arched instantly up into his body as her legs came up around him and dug into his back to pull him further into her. The next hour saw Harry make significant progress towards breaking his record of the evening before, and the day was still young.

When Harry finally pulled away from her, she laughed breathlessly. "Well, Mr. Potter, I think I am going to enjoy my life with you."

"I would hope so, Mrs. Potter."

She beamed up at him. "Am I really Mrs. Potter?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure, but our bond is stronger than marriage, so I would assume."

"We'll have to look into that."

"As you wish." He would give her anything. He wondered if she knew that.

She pushed him onto his back and snuggled against his side. "We have to get back to the real world now, don't we?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately. I'd like to meet your parents. I don't want to give them any more reason to despise me." His hand came up and traced the ribbon on her neck. "And we'll need to talk to McGonagall about making arrangements for the school year."

"I'll get to stay with you, right?"

"Yes. I can't survive without you."

"Good."

He tensed under her, and her head came up, a question in her eyes. "Yes, it is good. But it means certain things. My life wasn't easy before this, and now everyone will know exactly how to get to me. I can protect you most of the time, but you'll need to be strong enough to protect yourself as well."

"Okay. You'll teach me?"

"All I know. But I'd like to see about getting training for both of us."

She looked adorably confused. "Why?"

He sighed and scrubbed his face before answering. "There are things you don't know about me, things that will mean people will be coming after us."

Her eyes looked fearful for a split second before going hard with determination. She lay her head back down on his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Tell me."

"You know that Voldemort attempted to kill me when I was a baby."

"Yes."

"The reason he came after me and my parents was because of a prophecy made shortly before I was born. It said that I would be the only one able to defeat him, that he would mark me as an equal, and that I would have a power he knows not." He could feel her take several deep and steadying breaths against his side, but she said nothing so he continued. "My parents knew of the prophecy, and so we went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm. Unfortunately, the person they trusted with the secret was a Death Eater spy. He gave my parents right to Voldemort."

"Sirius Black," she whispered.

"No." Her head popped up and she stared at him incredulously. "Peter Pettigrew."

"I... I don't understand."

"Pettigrew framed Sirius, and then escaped. He's a rat animagus. Sirius was never even given a trial, just thrown straight into Azkaban. When he escaped in our third year, it was to come after Pettigrew. Unfortunately, while we had caught the rat, he was able to get away. It was Pettigrew that resurrected Voldemort at the end of our fourth year."

Understanding shone in her eyes. "During the third task, like you said in that Quibbler article."

"Yes. And then, last year, Voldemort lured me into a trap in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius came to rescue me, and was killed." She drew in a sharp breath. "It was later that night when Dumbledore told me about the prophecy."

"What! You didn't already know?"

"No. He wanted me to have a normal life."

She sputtered in anger. "But... that... is he a bloody idiot?"

He chuckled. "I'm glad you take my view of things. Anyway, I have no clue how to defeat him, but I must."

"Why? So some stupid prophecy says it has to be you. Let's just run away."

"You have no idea how much I wish I could. But Voldemort knows part of the prophecy, and he will continue to come after me. And... I can't..."

"You can't condemn the rest of the world to terror by your inaction." She pushed into his side and pressed a kiss on his chest. "I know, my Gryffindor Siren. But I don't have to like it."

He breathed a sigh of relief. She seemed to be taking it remarkably well. "There's more, though. Dumbledore seems to think that he can control my life because of the prophecy. He placed me with my mother's half-sister, a Muggle, after my parents died. And it was... no child should have to endure that."

She seemed to understand instantly, and he could only hope it wasn't through personal experience. "Is that what happened right before you came here at the beginning of summer?"

He looked down at her in astonishment. "How did you know?"

"I've seen what will make a person move the way you were. You had a couple of broken ribs, I would guess. And you seemed quite adamant about waiting as long as possible to get your tattoo. To hide bruises?"

He gave a resigned sigh. He had tried so hard to hide that from her, not wanting to seem weak. "Yeah. My cousin's welcome home present."

Her hands grew tight against his side. "They will pay."

He shrugged. "Honestly, I would be happy if I never see them again. But I've gotten sidetracked. Dumbledore placed me there and then ignored me for ten years. I knew nothing when I got my Hogwarts letter. I didn't know about magic, or our world, or that I was famous. And then, every year, something would happen, usually because Dumbledore was unable to understand what was going on in his own school. I would have to face Voldemort, or one of his minions, every year."

"Tell me."

For the next hour, Harry carefully recounted all of his many adventures, specifically dwelling on Dumbledore's role in them. Daphne seemed quite collected as she questioned him, and it amazed him. He had never met someone who was so calm in the face of what he had faced, and he wished he had known her years earlier.

Until they got to last year. She sat through his tales of Umbridge, only quietly asking to see his hand. She didn't comment when he told her how volatile he had been all year, and how Dumbledore ignored and deserted him. But then he told her about Snape's lessons, and Daphne exploded. He stared at her in shock as she paced, completely nude, in front of him, ranting and cursing under her breath. Finally, she rounded on him.

"Did he even perform an Occlumen Diagnosis?"

"Um, what?" He admittedly wasn't very coherent when she was standing there in the sun, resplendent in all her glory.

"There is a test you undergo before you begin Occlumency training. It determines what type you must learn, and how much natural skill you possess."

"Uh, there are different kinds?" He felt ridiculously stupid, but Snape had never told him anything but _clear your mind_.

"Yes. Snape, I would assume, would use an intellect based form as he has always prized intelligence and force of will."

"Yeah, he was always telling me to simply will him out of my mind. It never really worked."

"Well, of course it wouldn't. Even without knowing that you were a Siren I would have pegged you for a different form. While you have great force of will, your strength lies in doing, not thinking. Now, however, I know you will be better suited to the emotion based style of Occlumency."

Harry stared at her in shock. "Is that why Voldemort was kicked out of my head when I thought about Sirius? He couldn't fight through the presence of such strong emotions?"

"Probably. I'm not an Emotional Occlumen myself; I'm what they call an Illusionist, because I hide my very nature from the world. This duplicity allows me hide my thoughts and emotions, as anyone entering my mind is looking for them in the wrong place. My mind is masked by an illusion of who I seem to be, and this protects me from intrusion. Only one who truly knows me would be able to find anything, and there are precious few people in the world I will ever allow to get that close. But enough about me, you won't be the same. For Emotional Occlumens, I've read enough to know that you basically flood your mind with thoughts of love, or some other equally strong emotion, and the only read anyone can get on you is that one emotion. It overwhelms any probe." She sent him a saucy wink. "And now, what with your recent experiences, I would imagine that there isn't a person on the planet who could break into your mind."

He grinned and jumped to his feet, stalking quietly towards her. He kissed her for a solid ten minutes before pulling back. "We should really get going."

She pouted. "If you insist. But you will be paying me back later."

"As if I would ever refuse to."

"Oh, I know. It is marvellous." She turned and eyed him as he was pulling on his pants. "Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"How can you kiss me for so long without us breathing?"

His brow furrowed as he thought about what she was asking. "I never lose my breath when I'm kissing you."

"And neither do I. That's my point. Normal couples have to break apart quite regularly to breathe."

He hadn't really thought about that, but it did make sense. "Oh. Um, it might be a Siren thing. We have an affinity for air, and there is mention in some of my books that some Sirens can breathe underwater. I imagine it is something similar, and it's quite possible I'm breathing for you as well."

She grinned. "I think we need to go swimming soon."

"As my lady wishes."

She laughed happily as she pulled on her clothes. With a quick glance around to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind, Harry dispelled the wards he had placed last night and pulled her into his arms. The portkey dropped them off in the foyer of the summer home he had lived in until a few days ago, and he led her by hand into a large guest room with its own bathroom.

She pouted as he turned to leave. "You aren't going to join me in the shower?"

"Oh, you have no idea just how much I want to, but we still need to eat something, and we really should go see your parents today. And I have a feeling that if I step in that shower with you, we won't surface again." He beat a hasty retreat as she started to drop her clothes. A man can only take so much temptation, and a Siren can handle even less.

* * *

"Did you hear these rumours, Albus?" Severus Snape asked as he took his seat for dinner.

Albus looked up curiously. "What rumours?"

"Lucius owled me to ask if I knew any more about the rumours going around the Ministry that a new Siren has surfaced."

"A Siren, you say? No, I haven't heard tale of one in England in nearly a hundred years."

"Oh, but it gets better. They say it is a male Siren."

"That's not possible!"

Severus shrugged. "It was Shacklebolt who responded to the call last night."

Albus turned back to his dinner, deep in his thoughts. He wondered if this would affect his plans in any way. He supposed it could, depending on the identity of the new Siren. Voldemort could use such a creature to pull in many. He raised his wand and sent a Patronus; he needed to talk with Kingsley.

* * *

Daphne had borrowed Hedwig to send a note ahead; her father would have to key him into the wards that surrounded their home. She had not mentioned any of what had happened in her note, simply asked her father to meet her at the boundary to let a friend in. She had also warned Harry to be prepared to raise a shield.

It was a quiet walk to Greengrass Manor, and they were both lost in their thoughts, their hands entwined together between them. Harry had a small bag slung over one shoulder, with an extra shirt and several books. When they rounded the final corner before the property began, they could see Steffan Greengrass pacing relentlessly across the path. As soon as he saw them, his wand was out and several spells were racing towards them.

Harry took half a step in front of Daphne and lifted his right hand. A shimmering red shield arched around them and took all the curses without weakening. This stopped Steffan in his tracks.

"Daphne Eleanor Greengrass! You get over here this instant!"

Her head popped out from behind Harry's back, the shield still firmly in place, and she smiled at her father. "Hello, Daddy."

"Don't you 'daddy' me, young lady! Explain yourself!"

"I would love to, but perhaps we could go inside first?"

"I am not letting this scoundrel into my wards!"

"Well you'll have to. Because I cannot enter if he cannot."

"Well you'll just have to deal with it. I don't even know who he is and you're asking me to allow him into the wards. Do you care nothing for your mother and sister?"

Daphne sighed. "No, Daddy. You misunderstood. I cannot enter if he is not allowed. Magic prevents me from going anywhere that he cannot follow."

Steffan Greengrass' jaw dropped. He knew a great deal about the old forms, and there were precious few things that would do what she claimed. Daphne was telling him that she had entered into some form of magical bondage. Well, there was nothing else for it. Cordelia would never allow him to bar Daphne from their home, so the young man must come as well. At least he seemed willing to protect her. With a resigned sigh, he raised his wand and whispered a command phrase, then pointed it towards the mysterious young man, who had finally dropped his shield. He watched carefully as the young couple stepped across the wards, hands once more intertwined. He knew that Daphne had been spending time with a young man for the past several weeks, but, after Cordelia had given her a stern lecture about not taking things too far and reminded her of her responsibilities, he had not been concerned. Daphne had always done what was best for their family. Then, a few days ago, her young man seemed to have left, and Steffan had breathed a sigh of relief. It would be bad for his negotiations if Daphne was known to have had any serious prior romantic relationships. Her friend Tracey had taken her out last night, in an effort to cheer her up. It wasn't until this morning that Steffan realised Daphne had failed to come home, and he began to worry. Then he had flooed the Davis home and found out that Daphne had left with some young man.

Steffan blasted a whole in the wall.

So his anger at seeing his eldest daughter draped all over this boy was understandable. Especially given the familiar way they were together. It was almost as if... but no, Daphne wouldn't do that.

They finally got within sight of the house, and Steffan was only mildly surprised to see Cordelia dash out of the door when she spotted them. Steffan may have a temper, but it was nowhere near as strong as his wife's; thankfully, it took a lot to get her worked up, so her temper rarely showed. He watched, fighting a smirk, as Cordelia sent spells at the boy. He knew she couldn't penetrate the boy's shield any more than he could, but that only meant she would resort to more drastic measures. And he was not disappointed. She called forth her specialty, and sent fire directly at the young upstart. It was a little known fact that while a shield will protect from spells and sometimes even physical projectiles, it will not stop the elements.

The boy's hands shot out in front of him, and Cordelia's fire was extinguished into a cloud of steam. It covered the whole courtyard, and was hot enough to cause Steffan to bring his wand up to start dispersing it. When the courtyard was finally clear, he looked around for his daughter.

The only thing there was what looked like a rather large black bird.

As he watched, dumbfounded, the gigantic wings opened and the boy stood up, and then helped Daphne up. Unlike Steffan and Cordelia, her fair skin was unblemished from the scalding steam, as the young man appeared to have covered her with his own body. A body which still had wings sprouting out the back.

Daphne was livid. She had expected her hot-headed father to try something, but she had thought her mother would at least wait for the explanation before she tried to curse Harry. She had no idea how he had called up that much water so quickly, but she would take the scalding steam any day over fire. And then he had shielded her with his own body. She shot a glare at her parents, who were taking turns to heal each other, and turned to Harry. His wings were still out, folded to hide his back, leading her to believe that he had been hurt protecting her and was trying to hide it.

"Show me."

He grimaced. "I'm fine."

"Show. Me."

With a huff he gritted his teeth and slowly folded his wings away. While they were water resistant and had mostly escaped unscathed, his back was another story. He turned around and presented it to Daphne. She drew in a sharp hiss when she saw the angry red skin scattered with blisters. She didn't know how to heal burns that bad, and she didn't think her mother was in any mood to help. Her hand came up and hovered just over his back, wanting to caress him but afraid to hurt him.

"It's okay, Daph. You can always touch me." He always seemed to know what she needed.

She brought her hand down on the edge of the burn, tears stinging her eyes. Gently, she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss in the centre of his back. Harry shivered at the contact.

She watched with wide eyes as the skin she had kissed slowly started to heal. With a cry of joy, she brought both hands up to caress his back and peppered kisses wherever she saw a hint of red. She didn't bother to spare a thought for her dumbfounded parents. When every inch of his back was healed, she snaked her arms around his torso and hugged herself to him. He gently turned in her arms and embraced her. He buried his head in her neck.

"Thank you for loving me, Daphne. Your love is all I will ever need."

It was as he placed a row of kisses there that Steffan Greengrass first noticed the ribbon that adorned his daughter's neck. Magical bondage didn't even begin to cover what that meant. He tried to remember the reference he had read to ribbons of ownership. The only thing he could remember right now was that certain beings that practiced sexual magic used them to bind their partners. Dread settled into his stomach.

"Daphne?" He began, hesitantly. "Perhaps we should have that talk inside now?"

Daphne turned and levelled a glare at her father. "Are you two done attacking us, then? Should I expect Astoria next?"

Steffan flinched. It was evident that Daphne would take any assault on the boy as one on herself. "We are done. I think I'd like to hear what is going on first."

Daphne gave a curt nod, then bent down to the ground to retrieve Harry's bag that she had fallen on top of. She was glad for that small bit of luck, as several of the books it contained were quite valuable; her eyes had bugged out of her head when he had shown them to her earlier. She fished out his extra shirt and helped him pull it on, then took his hand and led him into the house. They went to the formal sitting room, and Daphne didn't miss the sour expression on her mother's face when she sat in Harry's lap, nor the glare her father sent when Harry's hands wrapped around her waist and slid under the edge of her shirt. He wasn't even touching anything interesting, just holding her to fulfil his desire for contact.

"Father, Mother, this is Harry Potter." Both elder Greengrasses drew in a sharp breath. "As of last night, I am his, and he is mine."

Steffan' hands clenched into tight fists and he fought for control. He did not want to attack the boy again before he heard the entire story. Especially given who he claimed to be. That could be dangerous. "Is this the boy you were running around with this summer?"

"Yes, well, kind of."

"You had better start explaining better, Daphne."

"I spent time around town talking with Harry Potter, my friend and nothing more. Last night he came back, and I became one with Harry Potter, Siren."

Steffan scoffed. "There's no such thing as male Sirens."

"Did you not see his wings, Daddy?"

He considered this. They were pretty convincing evidence. "But... it makes no sense! The Potter family does not have Siren blood!"

"No," Harry spoke quietly for the first time. "But my mother was a Siren, and she made arrangements with the goblins before her death to facilitate my own transformation."

Cordelia laid a hand on her husband's arm and stood slowly. She came to rest in front of Daphne and looked her daughter over carefully. "And he has bonded you as his mate?"

"Yes. He took me to Stonehenge last night. It was... amazing."

Steffan had to hide his shock at this. She had performed ritual magic at Stonehenge, and he hadn't even been present for the honour. Though, he had little doubt that it was probably better that he wasn't there. He could guess what a Siren bonding ceremony would require. "And what about the negotiations for your contract, Daphne? Have you any idea what this will do to my credibility?"

"Then tell them the truth," Harry growled. "You can no longer sell your daughter as she is mine to do with as I will."

Daphne placed a kiss on his cheek. "Calm down, my love." Her eyes met the astonished gaze of her father. "Harry, not being raised in our world, was rather... upset when he learned there were negotiations under way for my contract. He is slightly sensitive when it comes to me."

Steffan smiled slightly. Given his nature, the boy thinking that way was a very good sign. "Then he just might deserve you."

"Never," Harry whispered. "Who could ever hope to deserve such a priceless treasure?"

Cordelia laughed. "Oh, you are a charmer!" Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother's temper seems to have cooled, and she would calm down her husband.

Cordelia took a bewildered Harry's hand and pulled him up, then led him by the arm, chattering away at him. She recognised that her husband needed time to digest this and thought it best to get Harry and Daphne out of the way while he did. In the library in the back of the house, they came upon a young girl with silky black hair and grey eyes who was curled up and reading in a large chair. She looked up when they entered, and her eyes went wide at the sight of Harry. She was looking at him with a strange expression on her face, and she fell into a case of giggles that had Harry frozen there, dumbfounded, and shifting nervously. He shot a glance towards Daphne, but she was standing there laughing at him; no help at all.

"Hello," he began awkwardly, hoping to break the girls from their laughter.

Astoria turned beet red and stared at him through her giggles for several minutes before she finally managed to squeak out a response. "Hello. I'm Astoria Greengrass. I don't believe we've met."

Astoria finished her introduction by ducking her head and allowing her long black hair to fall in front of her and hide her face.

Daphne giggled. "Astoria, this is my husband and mate, Harry Potter."

"Daphne! Don't tease me, and stop lying!" The younger girl said with some heat, until she realised that Harry was watching her. Then she ducked her head again. Daphne broke into more gales of laughter at Harry's look of discomfort.

Harry shot Cordelia, who was leaning against the wall, laughing hysterically, a plea for help, which she ignored. Finally, he remembered some of the advice Fleur had given him the day before, and picked Daphne up bodily, held her to him tightly, and proceeded to snog her senseless.

When he finally pulled back, Daphne was smiling up at him with a dreamy expression, and his hands were firmly placed on her bum, under the guise of holding her up, while her legs were wrapped tightly around his lower back. Wary, he turned back to Astoria and was relieved to see that the infatuation was gone from her eyes and she was instead smiling shyly.

"Sorry about that," she said in a quiet voice. "I don't know what came over me. Now, why don't you tell me what is going on, Daphne."

"Yes, I'd like to hear this story from the beginning as well," Cordelia put in. There was amusement in her eyes as she watched her eldest daughter behaving so shockingly.

"Of course. But we can't take too long." She slapped away one of Harry's hands, which had taken to outright caressing her bum, and hopped down off of him. "Harry is relatively new to this and hasn't yet learned to control his powers. In the meantime, I will be his outlet. And he is going to need my help soon."

Harry growled and dropped his head to nuzzle into her neck, then gave her one long lick up her cleavage before releasing her and leading her over to a large chair and guiding her into his lap.

Harry paid very little attention to the conversation that followed, except for when Daphne asked him to describe what he knew about Sirens. Mostly, he caressed every inch of Daphne that wasn't in view of her mother and sister, while placing slow kisses on the side of her neck. He was lucky that Daphne seemed so attuned to him, as she immediately recognised when he was reaching the end of his tolerance. With a smile, she bid her mother and sister goodnight and quietly led Harry by the hand up to her bedroom.

He didn't speak the entire journey, content to follow her and imagine the things he would be doing to her shortly. He gave her room a cursory glance, mainly to determine where everything was, and then spun her quickly and forcefully pushed her up against the door. He didn't bother vanishing her clothes this time, simply grabbed hold of both sides of her blouse and ripped it off of her body. Then his mouth was on hers and his hands were groping at her chest. He ground into her until she pulled her mouth away from his and screamed in ecstasy. Then he picked her up and carried her gently to her bed. At her request, he removed his shirt, and then he was back, worshiping her torso with his hands and mouth. He came to her abdomen, and amused himself momentarily with her navel, then paused and stared at it.

"Would you consider doing something for me?" He asked.

"Hmmm, right now I would probably do anything you asked." He smiled up at her and kissed her breast in thanks. "What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember that one case at Clio's? With the rings and jewels?"

She smiled. "You would like me to get my navel pierced?" He grinned sheepishly and nodded his head. "Hmm, I would certainly not be opposed to this idea. Might I suggest a trade?"

"You want me to pierce something?" He asked in confusion. He didn't think it would look nearly as good on him as it would on her.

"No. But I want a mark on your body nonetheless."

He grinned. "Wherever and whatever you want, my love."

"Good. We'll discuss this. Tomorrow."

"Agreed. Now, I got distracted..."

His hands slid down her abdomen and into the sides of her pants. Then he pulled them outwards, shredding her pants with ease. He carefully removed all the scraps from her body, then winked at her and pulled her knickers down with his teeth. He sat back on his heels and stared at her for several long minutes.

"You are so beautiful," he breathed.

She grinned happily. "Why thank you, my good sir. Feel free to claim your reward whenever you feel like it."

"Then I had better get to it."

She pouted. "But you still have your pants on."

Without comment he stood and pulled them down. She crooked her finger at him and watched as he crawled up the bed to her, then she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him onto his back. He looked up at her curiously.

"There are several things I want to try with you, love." She kissed him languidly for several minutes before pulling back. "There is no reason that we can't both have our pleasure at the same time."

Then she promptly turned around on the bed, straddled his face, and leaned down to take him into her mouth. Harry screamed in ecstasy, then placed his large palms on her bum and pulled her down to his waiting mouth. Neither seemed to want to stop, and they pleasured each other to completion five times before Daphne collapsed on top of him, panting and exhausted. Gently, Harry picked her up and turned her around. He took his right hand and wrapped it around her jaw, and it was engulfed by a brief red glow. She smiled in thanks, and pulled him down to kiss her. It was convenient having a husband who could heal you when you injure yourself sucking him off repeatedly. She suspected he healed other parts of her before she woke up earlier as well.

Eventually he pulled back and smirked at her. "Since we are trying new things, are you up for more?"

"What did you have in mind, lover?"

"Fleur gave me several lovely suggestions yesterday. I thought we could try out some of them. We can begin with the simpler things, but, I admit, I want to try it all."

She laughed softly. "Of course you do. I think I am willing to try anything once. If I don't like it, I'll let you know."

He grinned and rolled over onto his back, pulling her along with him. His large hands encircled her hips and pulled her down on to him. Her mouth opened in surprise.

"You feel so much deeper this way, love." Her words were breathy as she gasped at the new sensations.

He groaned in excitement. "Ride me, Daphne. Use me, and let me watch."

She brought herself to bliss four times on him before dropping her hands from her own chest and pull his up to replace them. "With me, Harry. I need to sleep for a bit."

He groaned and started thrusting from underneath her. She screamed in pleasure once more time then collapsed on top of him and knew no more.

* * *

"What do you mean, you can't tell me who it was?" Albus shouted.

"Precisely that, Albus. I am bound by oath to not reveal the identity of the new Siren until he chooses to do so himself."

Albus growled softly. "But you spoke with him?"

"No. A friend of his bound me."

Albus shut his eyes to calm himself down. "And who was that?"

"Bill Weasley."

Albus' eyes popped open. "You said Bill claimed him as a friend?"

"Yes. As I understand it, the Siren came to Bill for help dealing with his recent transformation. Until that evening, I understand he had been doing remarkably well in his control. And Bill dropped me a line today to let me know that the issue that had caused the incident had been resolved."

Albus clenched his hand around his knee, trying not to let his anger show. "Is there a possibility Voldemort could get a hold of this Siren?"

Kingsley chuckled. "Not a chance."

"Good, that is something. What caused the incident in question?"

"From what Bill told me, the Siren was new to his powers and unmated. He had visited the club that night for a specific girl. Witnesses told us that she turned him down and he lost it."

Albus' eyes went wide with fear. "He has been rejected by his mate? This is not good."

Kingsley smiled. "Bill's note this morning would suggest that whatever misunderstanding happened that night, they have since found their way to each other."

Another sigh of relief. "Well, that is good news. Did you speak to the girl in question?"

"Yes. She was quite distraught. Evidently she did not recognise the boy due to the rather large physical changes he underwent as part of his transformation. She was devastated to learn who she had turned down. She left shortly after with Bill, so they must have gone after him."

"Did you get her name?"

"Daphne Greengrass."

Albus didn't like that. The Greengrass family was notorious for not choosing sides. He would have much preferred that this unknown Siren be tied to an openly Light family. However, knowing the girl's identity did give him an avenue to pursue to discover just who this Siren was. It also gave him a bargaining chip, as the girl was still at Hogwarts. As long as they had not yet been fully bound, he could use this to his advantage. And knowing Steffan Greengrass, there was no way he would let his daughter bind herself to a Siren so quickly, if at all.

"Thank you, Kingsley. Please let me know as soon as you are released from your oath."

The tall Auror bowed his head in acknowledgement and quickly left.

Albus was lost in thought. Who did the Greengrass girl associate with that, as Kingsley had said, would never side with Voldemort and was a good friend of Bill Weasley? It was evident from the story that she had already had feelings for the boy, and yet Daphne Greengrass was notorious for showing no interest in the males of the school at all. Perhaps he wasn't a student? But he had to have just turned seventeen if he was a new Siren. And he couldn't imagine a Greengrass daughter being allowed to socialize with a boy during the summer months. So who could he be? And how did she meet him, when, as far as he was aware, she never moved in the same circles as Bill and all of her acquaintance were more likely to support Voldemort than not.

He was drawing a blank.

* * *

Cordelia watched as Daphne led Harry away, smiling at how happy her daughter seemed. Cordelia knew that Daphne had not been happy about the arrangements for her contract, but they both knew it was necessary. The Greengrass family had always walked a very fine line between Light and Dark. To not anger the Light, it was usually enough that they never participated in the vile acts perpetuated by their darker peers. But to not anger the Dark was a much harder and more dangerous endeavour. They had managed by practicing many of the old forms. In addition, they needed to maintain their blood status in order to not make targets of themselves, despite the fact that neither she nor her husband subscribed to such beliefs.

All of this combined to mean that Daphne would be bound by contract, and her choices were somewhat limited; this generation was relatively small, and did not offer as many choices as she would have liked. Steffan, who loved both of his daughters, was trying to find her the best husband, but Daphne had seemed not to care for any of the young men who were offering for her. Briefly, Cordelia wondered how long her daughter had had her eye on Harry Potter. She was quite certain that Daphne would have pressed his suit before, as his heritage as a Potter countered much of the stigma of his blood status, if it weren't for the fact that he was the Boy-Who-Lived and a Gryffindor to boot. Contracting Daphne to him would have firmly placed the Greengrass family in the Light. As she was Siren Bound instead, Cordelia hoped that Steffan would be able to continue to walk his political tightrope that he cared so much about. He could always claim that it was done without his knowledge or blessing.

Of course, that would not help the delicate father-daughter relationship.

With a sigh, Cordelia stood and made her way to Steffan' study. As expected, he was sitting staring into the fire, nursing a large brandy. She brushed a hand along his shoulder on her way to her seat.

"Is she truly happy with this?" He asked quietly.

"Yes. I've never seen her so full of life and hope. She is positively glowing. And he completely dotes on her. He will take good care of her, Steffan."

He sighed. "I know. I just... I'm worried."

"I know, my love."

"I had hoped to choose well for her, that she could be as lucky as we were." Cordelia smiled softly. Despite their having been contracted, they had quickly fallen in love. "But she was so... she seemed apathetic and resigned. I felt like I was losing my little girl."

"Yes, Daphne has always been excellent at wearing her mask."

"It broke my heart that first night a couple of weeks ago when she came home all aglow about some boy. I knew, since she had not brought him to me, that she knew he was not suitable. And Daphne..."

"She seemed so accepting of the fact that her heart would be broken."

"Yes." He paused. "This morning, I thought... I thought the worst."

"Daphne would not have done that. She loves us and Astoria too much."

He hung his head. "I am ashamed of my doubt. And, even worse, I... I attacked him."

"As did I, if you recall."

He nodded. "He is strong."

"Strong enough?" She didn't need to say for what. They both knew what he faced.

"I think so. Daphne seems to believe in him, and I trust her." She nodded. "And, there is something about him that makes me think the world doesn't know the real Harry Potter."

"True. Daphne would never have fallen for a puffed-up prince. I was startled by how very different he was from what Severus and Lucius have always claimed. I know that some of that must have come from his transformation, but his power and humility seem ingrained."

"I think he is someone I could get behind," said quietly.

Cordelia smiled to herself, proud of her husband. A Greengrass had not made such a proclamation in centuries. "Will it be difficult to break negotiations?"

He thought carefully. "I will claim she chose to be bound ritually, at Stonehenge no less, and leave it at that. They will accept that this was a better offer." His face fell.

"What is it, my love?"

"I just... I had hoped to add an heir clause to her contract."

"Oh, Steffan." She knew how much her husband had wished for a son and heir. They had tried for years after Astoria, but had been disappointed. He had never held this against her, but she could tell it hurt him.

"And now, I have no bargaining chip with him. What man would give up one of his sons if he didn't have to?"

She sunk to her knees before him, placing her hands carefully on his. "I think you underestimate him, my love. He would do anything to make Daphne happy, and Daphne cares for you a great deal."

Steffan looked at her with hope in his eyes.

"Talk to him." She encouraged softly.

He nodded. Standing, he took her hand and helped her up, and then began to walk to their bedroom. A grimace stole across his face. "Did he have to be a Siren?"

She laughed. "At least we know she will always be happy. And, it comforts me to know he will always be faithful."

"Yes, I just would prefer that they weren't getting up to... all of that."

She smiled. "What a hypocrite you are, Steffan Greengrass, or did you forget what we got up to as newlyweds."

"That was different," he answered gruffly.

"Sure it was. Now stop thinking about Daphne and focus a little on your wife. Harry's presence has seemed to make me... a little needy."

He grinned and drew her into his arms. "Sirens aren't the only ones who can satisfy their wives."

* * *

Harry awoke in the dead of the night, wide awake. He glanced down at where Daphne was snuggled into his side, and smiled happily. As gently as he could, he slid away from her and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, and quietly pulled on his pants. With that accomplished, he went out her balcony and leapt into the sky.

It only took him an hour to pack up all his things and write a quick note to Bill thanking him for all his help and letting him know that things were alright, and then Harry was back on his way to Greengrass Manor. He snuck back into Daphne's room and stacked his trunks carefully in the corner, and then he pulled off his pants and climbed back into bed.

Yesterday had been a revelation to him. It seemed the attributes of a Siren hadn't been adequately described in the books he had, for he had been able to do some pretty surprising things as long as he was motivated by love. Well, Daphne's love. And most of the things he had done instinctually. He had a feeling this would be a great help if he were in a fight, once he could learn how to harness whatever this was without putting Daphne in the line of fire. Of course, he was still nowhere near knowing how to defeat Voldemort.

But Harry decided he was not going to worry about that right now. He needed to reach some kind of equilibrium where he could function in society without losing control, and for that he needed to practice. And spend a lot of time with Daphne. Altogether not an unappealing prospect.

Daphne started to stir in his arms, and he grinned. Time for another something new. Carefully, he pulled the sheet off of her and rolled her onto her stomach. He climbed on top of her, holding most of his weight off, and began the pleasurable task of exploring her back. He started at her shoulders, massaging with his hands while slowly kissing as he moved lower. She was fully awake by the time he reached her lower back, and was pushing back against him. He moved lower and explored her shapely bum until she was panting with need.

"Take me, Harry. Please."

He grinned, and pulled back. He helped her clamber up onto her hands and knees, and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. "As you wish." He entered her from behind and groaned at how good it felt. With one hand he held himself up, so that he wasn't putting too much pressure on her, and the other he brought to her front and massaged her breast.

After her second climax, he sat back on his heels and pulled her up to straddle him. This freed up both of his hands, and she eagerly helped him in his exploration of her body. She twisted her head around until she could meet his mouth, and moaned into his kiss.

When Daphne was completely spent and he had allowed his own release, he pulled her into his arms and curled up around her on the bed. Then he quietly told her of his plans and various thoughts.

"I think I might have an idea," she said when he was done.

"About what, my love?"

"Voldemort."

He couldn't tell if his surprise was from her having an idea, or simply because she said his name. Whatever the case, he rewarded her by kissing her senseless for a few minutes. "And what idea is that?" He asked when he eventually pulled back.

"If you could learn Occlumency, the correct way, I think you might be able to trap Voldemort in your mind."

"I don't understand."

"You have a mental connection with him, right?" He nodded against her shoulder. "So the idea would be for you to lure him in somehow, and then release the full force of your emotions. You told me that Voldemort seemed almost... allergic to love. Well your love is the strongest there is. If you could trap Voldemort within that, then it would be a simple thing to... well, deal with his body."

Harry considered this in silence for several minutes. It certainly had merit. And even if it didn't work the way she thought, it would at least give him a serious advantage over Voldemort. "Do you think we can find someone who can teach me?"

"My dad should be able to help us with that." He hummed against her shoulder. "I'm actually more worried about Dumbledore than Voldemort."

He sighed. "I know. It's hard to fight against someone who thinks he is doing everything for your own good."

"Yes." She paused before rushing out the rest. "And I'm worried about Hermione and the Weasleys."

He twisted her around until he could see her face. "Why? Bill and the twins have both helped me in the last few weeks."

She nodded. "And Ron?"

He hesitated. "That might take a bit more. Ron has always had a problem with jealousy." He thought about it. "But I think it will be a lot better now that I have you. Without you, he would have been jealous that I could have any woman I want. Now, he would just be jealous of you. And to be honest, I don't think he could ever bring himself to be with a Slytherin, no matter how wonderful you are."

"That's what I thought. Actually, I'm more worried about the female Weasleys."

"Yeah, that might be bad." He pulled her closer and slipped one of his legs in between hers. "Mrs. Weasley will probably think I've fallen into a life of debauchery and demand that I pick a more suitable mate."

Daphne giggled. "You have fallen into a life of debauchery."

"Shush, you." He grinned down at her, before becoming serious again. "Do you think Ginny will be a problem?"

"I hope not, but somehow I don't think we're going to get off that easy. She's been obsessed with you for years, and her mother has probably been feeding her delusions of marrying you." Daphne paused and ducked her head against his chest. "Would you have, do you think? Could you ever have seen yourself marrying her?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I've never seen her that way; she's always been more like a little sister."

"Do you think she's pretty?"

He lifted her chin gently so that he could see her eyes. He didn't like the look of vulnerability there. "The only times I've looked at her, really looked at her, have been to try and imagine what my mum was like at her age. And because she looks so much like my mum, I do think she's pretty. But that was never for her own merits. And she never left me speechless like you do on a regular basis." He groped at her briefly. "And I can honestly say that I've never even considered being in anyway intimate with her. She just doesn't do it for me. The way I think about her, it would be like being aroused by my own mother. Whereas about two seconds after I met you I was fighting to keep my imagination from conjuring up images of you like this."

She grinned. "Good answer, Potter."

"Ginny might turn out to be a problem, but we'll deal with it. I've never spent much time with her, so it shouldn't be too hard to stay away from her. It's not like she'll have an excuse to be around me."

"Unlike Hermione."

"You really think she is going to cause problems?"

"Yes."

"But she doesn't like me that way! And... and... Ron!"

Daphne laughed. "You think she likes Ron?"

"Um, yeah? Doesn't she?"

"Probably not. I know he is infatuated with her, but she has always treated him like a bug under her shoe, while constantly comparing him to you."

Harry furrowed his brows in confusion. "I've never seen her do that."

"I'm in the library almost as much as she is. She's different when you're not there." Daphne paused, wanting to tell him the truth but scared that this would hurt him. "I am a Slytherin, and so I am quite good at sneaking around and not being seen when I don't want to be. She has a friend in Ravenclaw, Lisa Turpin, that she often talks about you with. She thinks she is moulding you into the perfect husband who will do her bidding and yet gain her the status she desperately craves."

Harry rolled away from her and scrubbed harshly at his eyes. "Don't take this as me not believing you, but are you sure?" He asked quietly.

Her heart broke for him. He was learning that one of his best friends had been lying to him and using him for years. It couldn't be a pleasant experience. "Yes," she answered softly. "You may not know this but I... I've always been fascinated by you."

His hands dropped and he shot her a look. "If you're about to tell me you bought into all that Boy-Who-Lived nonsense I don't want to hear it."

She giggled. "Not that. I've been fascinated by you. I never really understood it, until you told me that I was your mate. I think I knew on some level, and was preparing myself all these years to be ready for you."

He grinned, and leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on her mouth. "Thank you." He could buy that. His father had been fascinated by his mother long before her Siren nature came out. For all he knew, that could be the norm.

"The point being, I always paid a lot of attention to you, and anyone that was talking about you. Because of my house, there was very little opportunity for me to get to know anything about who you really were, and so I started paying attention to Hermione quite early. She was a wealth of information, though I'm starting to learn that not all of it was reliable. Her so called plans for you date back to the middle of third year. She was upset because you weren't speaking to her about something, and she determined that she would have to control you to prevent that from ever happening again."

Harry's jaw tightened. The Firebolt. That was when he was upset about her tattling. It was enough proof for him. "What should I do," he asked in resignation.

"I don't know. But I... it may be selfish, but I really don't want her around you anymore."

"Okay."

"Just like that?" She asked in shock and excitement.

"With what you tell me, she was never really my friend, so I'm not losing much. And I would give up a lot more if you asked me to."

She sighed happily. "So we have strategies for most everyone. What about Dumbledore?"

"I don't know. Let's deal with him later. Right now I think we need to get back to more important things."

"Oh? And what might those be?"

"I believe I owe you a shower."

She grinned and jumped out of bed, racing to her large bathroom. She jumped into her oversized shower and turned on the water, letting it cascade down her hair and back. Harry stepped in front of her and reached out for her shampoo. He placed a large amount in his hand and then started to methodically rub it through her long hair.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?"

She didn't have the coherency to answer, his fingers on her scalp where driving her crazy.

"It is so thick and full, and I just want to tangle my hands in your curls all day long," he mused quietly.

He leaned down and kissed her as his hands worked with the water to rinse it out. By the time it was clean, she was a quivering mess. He backed her up carefully and pinned her against the wall, driving into her without preamble.

Daphne vowed that she would never shower alone again if she could help it.

* * *

When Harry and Daphne finally emerged from her room, they joined her parents in her father's study and discussed ways to go about hiring various tutors. Steffan agreed to contact them without mentioning Harry's name, and seconded Daphne's opinion on Occlumency, though they did not tell him about the Voldemort connection. He then asked for Harry's story.

He chose to ignore the fact that half way through this, Cordelia started to eye the young wizard and Daphne had to drag Harry out of the room for a few minutes.

Daphne didn't think it was necessary that her father know she had pulled Harry to a bathroom, shoved him up against the wall, dropped to her knees, and pleasured him. It helped him reign in his powers, and she was certainly not going to complain. He was then able to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by her side, reading in the library, and he only lost focus and attacked her twice.

Daphne considered this fairly good.

It was after dinner that they discussed what should be done. Everyone was leery of drawing Dumbledore's attention, but certain things needed to be done. They needed to determine Daphne's status with the Ministry, and add her to Harry's Gringotts account. Harry had a host of shopping he wished to get done: books, training equipment, and various other things. And they needed to contact Professor McGonagall to make arrangements for the next school year. In hopes of retaining anonymity, Steffan agreed to write the request for a meeting to the Professor, and Cordelia would take Daphne the next day to the Ministry. The laws were unclear about her legal status now. She undoubtedly belonged to Harry, but they were unsure if her underage status was waved, and if she was legally Mrs. Potter. With these plans made, a giddy Harry pulled Daphne along to her room.

He calmed remarkably once they reached their destination, however. Carefully and slowly he peeled off each article of clothing, pausing to examine her carefully as she was revealed. He loved her softly and tenderly, pressed tightly together on the bed, and afterwards fell asleep still entangled with her and buried inside of her.

* * *

Harry and Daphne barely missed the roar of the floo as they hastily made their way upstairs. Their giggling was still echoing in the room when the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore appeared in the fire. His eyes widened slightly at the sounds of mirth.

"Good evening, Steffan, Cordelia."

"Headmaster."

Albus' eyes looked towards the door, where sounds of giggling and a merry chase could still be heard. "It seems that my information about your daughter is correct." Steffan didn't answer. "Is it safe to assume that the young man in question is presently staying in your home?"

"Perhaps."

"Would it be possible to meet with him? I find myself quite curious about his recent transformation."

Steffan didn't betray any emotion as he answered. "Not at this time, Albus. He wishes to remain anonymous for some time longer."

Albus didn't betray his annoyance. "It will be hard for me to get the Board to allow the accommodations Daphne will surely need this next year if I do not have a good understanding of the man in question."

Steffan' jaw tightened at the threat. Perhaps Harry hadn't been exaggerating earlier. "I will inform him of your views."

"Very well. My best wishes and congratulations to the happy couple."

"Good evening, Albus."

* * *

A/N: So things are starting to happen.

I always find it interesting that while Harry shares Voldemort's emotions, everyone always assumes that if the connection were reversed, that Voldemort would only feel pain instead of Harry's emotions. True, Harry does tend to feel pain associated with it, but that is because of his scar, and Voldemort doesn't have anything like that. Hence my belief that Harry's lust will spill over into Voldemort. However, Voldemort is not equipped to handle it the way a Siren is, and doesn't have a Mate to help him.

Again, I have tried very hard with the intimate scenes to give an idea without going too far. For my more experienced readers, I would imagine they can fill in the gaps quite nicely. As always, I look forward to your thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

After an extended shower, where Harry took Daphne from behind while she was pressed tightly against the wall, they separated for their errands. Recognizing that he needed to be quick about it, before he missed Daphne so much that he started to attract undue attention, Harry went straight to Diagon Alley. After a quick stop at Gringotts, he went to a small jewellery shop where he picked out a pair of rings. Daphne's was platinum band with a large oval sapphire flanked by two circular diamonds. Harry thought it matched her eyes. For himself, he picked a solid platinum band with a square sapphire and two smaller square diamonds on either side. He had both charmed with the standard charms, as well as adding several to protect them from unusual damage, then ducked out of the shop. He visited the bookstore next, and bought ought almost their entire section on Occlumency as well as a good bit of the defence section. His final stop in the Alley was in a little shop that made protective gear. He bought two dragonhide wand holsters as well as a ladies vest. It would fit snugly under Daphne's school robes and be there to protect her when he could not. That is, if he could convince her to wear it.

On his way back home, he stopped at a Muggle bookstore; Fleur had recommended that he get a few reference books. He didn't like the looks he received from the female clerk when he bought an armful of sexual reference books, but he simply ducked his head and made a quick getaway. If he hurried, he should have time to speak with Daphne's father and read some before Daphne came home.

* * *

Steffan was startled by the knock on his study door, but called out in welcome. A nervous looking Harry stepped in.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you, sir."

Steffan smiled at the lad. Given his position, he would have the right to demand quite a bit more than he had, and yet he was always respectful and deferred to Steffan, except for where Daphne was concerned. Steffan approved of the lad's priorities. "Of course. Please, come in."

Harry took a seat and ducked his head for a minute, seeming to gather his courage. When he looked back up, his expression was determined. "Despite my... distaste with the custom, I understand that I placed you in an awkward position in regards to Daphne's contract." Steffan nodded for him to continue, curious where he was taking this. "I do not wish to place any strain between you and Daphne. I grew up with no family and have no desire to separate her from hers, so I wish you to take this in place of her bride price."

Steffan barely managed to contain his shock as the lad passed him a Gringotts' writ. He looked down at it and had to refrain from shouting in shock. "Harry, this is too much."

Harry shrugged. "I understand that the usual bride price is ten thousand galleons. Daphne means so much to me, I thought it was only fair."

"But Harry, ten times the usual... I cannot accept this."

"I insist." He smiled softly. "Perhaps this will allow you more leeway with Astoria, so that she can have better options."

Steffan looked at him calmly. This was more than generous, but he understood that Harry wanted something in exchange. "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I realise that contracts are part of your way of life. But, maybe, with this, Astoria can look further than she would have expected, and have a say in her husband. I would wish that she be as happy as I am in my chosen mate."

Steffan smiled. "You are a most unusual young man, Mr. Potter."

Harry shrugged. "I love Daphne, and she loves her sister. I will do whatever is in my power to make them both happy." He blushed slightly. "And, I've always wanted a sibling. Now that I have one, I will take care of her."

Steffan nodded. "I thank you. I have always worried about my girls, especially when both were placed in Slytherin. That can be a dangerous place to be, and my girls are blessed with beauty that turns heads and brings no end of trouble."

Harry chuckled. "That they are."

Steffan considered him in silence for several minutes, trying to determine if he should bring it up. Eventually, he decided that it couldn't hurt. "There is one other issue that would have been dealt with if Daphne had been contracted." Harry looked mildly confused. "As you know, I have no heir. Are you aware of what typically happens in such situations?"

"Um, no, not really."

"I thought not. It is a travesty that you were raised to be so ignorant of our culture."

Harry chuckled. "Indeed, though certainly not the worst thing associated with my childhood."

Steffan caught the illusion, but saved it for later. He had a feeling that was a conversation to have with the women present. Or maybe he could simply talk Daphne in to telling him, so that Harry wouldn't have to suffer through the tale. "There are three things that can happen. The first is that the inheritance is passed to a male cousin. Unfortunately, I have no such. The next is that the inheritance is split between the female children, and the name dies out. I would prefer to avoid this. I take great pride in my family name."

"Yes, sir."

"The last option is that inheritance is passed to a grandchild, who would bear my name."

Harry cocked his head. "You wish me to give one of my sons your name?"

"I had planned to include such a clause in Daphne's contract."

"And the child would then inherit the Greengrass home and fortune?"

"Yes."

"I see." He considered this carefully. "Would you insist on the firstborn?"

Steffan chuckled. "No. That would be asking quiet a lot."

Harry nodded. "Family means a great deal to me, sir. Daphne and I have not discussed children yet, but I would very much like to have more than one." He hesitated a moment. "No child should be alone. But I am agreeable to discussing with her the possibility of naming our second son a Greengrass-Potter, though he would still be raised as my son."

Steffan grinned. "You will find that most couples are hesitant to have more than one son because they worry about fights over inheritance. But the Potter fortune to the eldest and the Greengrass fortune to the next should alleviate such problems." He stood and came around to shake Harry's hand. The girls are probably going to be a bit longer, how about you and I sit and talk. There are many things that your father would have told you, if he had lived, and I don't mind filling in, if you don't mind."

Harry grinned. "Not a bit, sir. One can never have too much family, in my opinion."

* * *

Daphne and her mother made their way to the Improper Use of Magic Office first. It was a large room with several haggard looking clerks running around and monitors constantly going off. The busy secretary pointed them towards Mafalda Hopkirk's office and went back to her work. They had to wait nearly an hour before they were led into a small office by a frail looking witch.

Once seated, she eyed them carefully over her bifocals. "What can I help you with today, Madam Greengrass?"

Cordelia folded her hands carefully and jumped right in. "We are interested in whether my daughter's status has recently changed with regards to the restriction for underage sorcery."

Mafalda tilted her head in confusion. "Your daughter does not turn seventeen until next March, is this correct?"

"Yes. However, a few days ago she was bound in ritual."

Mafalda knew better than to question one of the old families. Instead, she turned and dug around in a cabinet before coming back with a small spindly object. It was dusty from disuse. "If you would provide a drop of blood, Ms. Greengrass, we will test things."

Without saying a word, Daphne complied. Mafalda watched the instrument carefully. For underage witches it would glow a soft yellow. If a witch was betrothed, but not yet given, it was a shade of green. Marriage showed as blue, and overage but single was purple.

The ever proper Mafalda muttered a quiet curse as the device glowed vibrant red. She looked carefully at the pair in front of her. "What ritual did you say this was?"

"I didn't."

She frowned. "Very well. According to our devices, Miss Greengrass no longer falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic. Thus it is not that she has been declared of legal age, rather that she has been granted immunity from any and all laws of our government. I've not seen such a thing before. Though, I would imagine that you wouldn't have even bothered to ask me if she were already of age, so it might be more common than I think."

"Very well, thank you for your help."

Cordelia led Daphne to a different floor and a different crowded office. After another long wait, they were shown into another small room by a grumpy and large wizard.

"Well? What do you need? Out with it!" He demanded.

Cordelia stiffened. "We would like confirmation of my daughter's legal status."

"Then you should be down at the Improper Use Office. Mafalda can help with such cases, and you wouldn't have to waste my time."

"We just came from there. What we wish to know is if you register her as being married."

He wrinkled his brow. "How could you not know if your own underage daughter is married?"

"She was bound ritually several days ago. It is rather unusual circumstances."

He huffed, but pulled out an astoundingly large book. He asked the date the ritual had been performed, and then turned quickly until he found the correct page. He pulled out a large magnifying glass to read the miniscule writing, and read down the page. "Greengrass... Greengrass... Yes, there is an entry here for a ceremony recognized as marriage between Daphne née Greengrass and... well, that is odd. It gives no indication of whom she married or what her new name is."

Daphne smiled softly. "That is most probably because my husband now has complete control over me, and I imagine that he doesn't want it known."

Cordelia smiled at the confused man. "Thank you for your time. You answered our question for us."

On their way out of the building, they stopped for Daphne to get her apparition license, a skill Steffan had taught both his daughters illegally as soon as they hit puberty. He claimed they were too beautiful for their own good. Daphne then talked her mother into a few special stops on the way home. They giggled happily as they imagined Harry's reaction to some of her new... outfits.

The two women arrived home to find Steffan ensconced in his study and Harry nowhere to be found. Daphne carried her bags up to her room, figuring she would put them away before setting out to look for him. Her room seemed empty, and she placed her bags on the bed and began pulling things out.

Her breath hitched as a warm arm slid around her waist. His hot breath was on her neck as he whispered. "I missed you today." His hands pulled her shirt up and over her head, then made straight for her breasts, groping madly as he kissed at her ear. "You shouldn't have kept me waiting so long." Daphne was panting with need as she arched into his hands. She loved when he was so forceful with her.

She let out an embarrassing moan when he roughly shoved her torso forward and down onto the bed. His hands came down and pushed her trousers down to her knees. Then, with a hand on the centre of her back to hold her down, he entered her. "Don't you know I want you here for me at all times?" He growled as he pounded into her. "Now you have a lot to make up for."

"Harder," she groaned.

His hands roughly grabbed at her hips, holding her steady as he moved harder and faster. Her screams of praise reverberated throughout the room.

After his release, he sat down, still naked, in the large armchair while Daphne put away her purchases. She refused to show him most of them, stating that they were surprises for later. He could wait, he decided, as she seemed so excited about them. When her bags were all put away, she sauntered over to him and climbed into his lap, straddling him. Her hand was underneath her, languidly stroking him. She quietly told him about her day, and thanked him for whatever magic he had invoked to protect her. When she asked what he had done today, he grinned and summoned two small boxes.

He opened the smaller one first and presented her with her ring. As she was examining it he carefully slipped his own on. After several minutes of silence, he asked nervously, "Do you like it?"

She looked up, her eyes glistening. "It is perfect." Her smile turned mischievous as her hand, which had never stopped its slow stroking, began to move harder. "I think you deserve a reward."

"Mmm, and what might that be."

She grinned and pulled herself up on her knees. Her free hand came up and cupped her breast, offering it to his mouth. He suckled happily as her hands worked him. His own hands snuck down her body, one in front and one in back. The former was so good she nearly jumped in shock when the other set to exploring. He pulled his mouth free for a moment.

His expression was a little wary, but hopeful. "We'll take this carefully, and we don't have to..."

She smiled at him. "I promised to try anything at least once." Her head fell back as pushed the tip of one finger inside her. "And it doesn't look like I'll dislike it much."

He beamed and went back to her breasts.

* * *

_Rumours Abound About a New Siren, the First in England in nearly 100 Years, and a Male _

_By Laurelie Mangaman_

_Rumours are circulating around the Ministry for Magic that there was a sighting of a male Siren. For those of our readers who do not know, a Siren is a cross between Veela and Merman. Historically, there have only been females, and it was thought that males were incapable of triggering the transformation. A Siren, like its Veela cousins, possesses a strong allure for all those of the opposite sex, and craves intimacy. However, unlike a Veela, a Siren is always monogamous once they have found their mate. The danger comes if a Siren is unable to mate, or somehow loses their mate. An unmated Siren will eventually be run mad by their desire for intimacy. Their powers will rage out of control, pulling in everyone they can. The fear of this happening is what led to the creation of the ancient bonding ritual employed by Sirens. It creates a mutual oath of bondage between the Siren and its mate, and supersedes all rules and laws to allow them to be together._

_Sirens can be identified, not only by their startling good looks and physical allure, but also by the large wings they are capable of releasing. It is this that is said to have started the rumours of a new Siren. In an incident a few days ago, a supposedly unmated Siren lost control and was forced to escape by use of his wings._

_We at the Prophet caution our readers to beware of the power of such an individual, and sincerely hope that whoever he is, he is soon able to find his mate. But the biggest question is: who is this new Siren? _

_Ladies, I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be on the lookout. Sirens are intensely sexual creatures, and I can only imagine the benefits he could provide to his chosen partner. Such a man is surely worth the chase._

* * *

That afternoon, Daphne and Harry walked in hand-in-hand to Clio's store. He beamed when he saw them.

"Harry! You're back!" Clio chose not to comment on the obvious physical changes about the lad. It was really none of his business.

Harry smiled down at the girl by his side. "I couldn't seem to stay away."

Clio chuckled. The kid looked even more love struck than he had a week ago. "What can I help you with today?"

Harry grinned. "I'd like another tattoo." He pulled up the hem of his shirt and pointed to the exact spot Daphne had hers. Clio raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A blue D, right here."

Clio wiggled his brows. "Whatever you say, lad."

The small tattoo was done quickly, which Clio thought was a good thing. With the way these two were looking at each other, he thought they were going to go at it right here in his shop. And while he would not be opposed to watching, he didn't think Daphne would like that very much. But they shocked him once more when Daphne giggled and asked for a navel piercing. They picked out several charms, and the work was done soon enough, then Clio laughed as Harry practically dragged her out of the shop.

Without a word, Harry pulled a portkey out of his pocket and they were gone. Daphne didn't recognise where they were, and Harry seemed too preoccupied to answer right then. It was a lovely beach, and she couldn't see another soul. This was fortuitous, as the second they landed Harry started to tear off both of their clothes. She had expected something like this, but she was shocked when he didn't immediately attack her. Instead, he helped her lay down in the sand and sat and stared at her.

Harry's gaze was hot and heavy on her, and she could feel where it lingered even with her eyes closed.

She began to wonder if he could bring her to completion simply by looking at her.

But today was not the day to test that theory, as she was too impatient. She huffed and glared at him. "Are you going to take me any time soon?"

He smirked. "I'm too busy staring at the work of art that you are."

She rolled her eyes. "Well decide how you want to take me already and get on with it."

He tilted his head, lost in thought for awhile, and then gave a determined nod. "I want to see that diamond you wear sparkling in the sunlight as you ride me."

She grinned. That was one of her favourite positions. She pushed him on his back and impaled herself on him quickly. With a whispered direction he brought his knees up behind her and she leaned back against him. This allowed the sun to hit every inch of her body. Harry stared avidly, enjoying the show.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall sat in her office, organizing the timetables for next year. This was one of her least favourite tasks that came with her position, and her eyes constantly looked up, searching around for a distraction. This she found in the form of a regal black owl flying through her open window. She carefully untied the scroll and offered the owl a treat before unrolling it to read.

_Professor McGonagall,_

_Recently, there has been a change in my daughter's status that will necessitate certain modifications for the coming school year. As you can imagine in these times, I would prefer to discuss this in person. In addition, one of the parties involved is rather leery of informing the Headmaster until it is absolutely essential. Would it be possible to impose upon you to visit this evening for a discussion? _

_Thank you for your time,_

_Steffan Greengrass_

She stared at the letter in shock and sadness. It was not unheard of for her to receive such a request, but she had hoped that Steffan would wait until Daphne was of age before he sold her off like cattle to the highest bidder. She sighed. There was nothing for it now but to make whatever accommodations were necessary. She was mildly curious about the comment about Albus, but, again, it was not unheard of. Many of the old pureblood families preferred not to deal with him unless absolutely necessary. She wondered if Steffan had written Severus as well and briefly considered going down to talk to the man, but then decided against it. She didn't want to mention anything if he hadn't already been told.

Reluctantly, she put the matter off for later after writing a quick response. She really needed to get those timetables done.

* * *

Daphne stood on her balcony, hesitantly looking down. "Are you sure this is safe?"

He laughed. "Perfectly. I won't do anything reckless, and if you get scared I'll take you right back down."

She sighed. She really wasn't much of a flyer, but Harry loved it, and he wanted to share this with her. She smoothed her skirt down nervously before nodding. "Okay. Just go slowly."

He grinned and pulled her up into his arms. She buried her head against his chest as he jumped off the balcony, her arms tight around his neck. She could feel the wind rushing around them, and the play of his muscles caused by his flapping wings, but she didn't want to look.

"Daphne," he said softly. "Look."

She took a calming breath. She really didn't want to do this, but it was so hard to refuse him when he was so excited about something. He got this ridiculously adorable boyish look on his face, and she couldn't bear to disappoint him. Slowly, she opened her eyes. At first, she didn't look away from him. The joy on his face as he flew made her heart speed up. He looked down at her and grinned again. Carefully, she turned her head to look out.

It really was beautiful. You could see so much from up here, and there was nothing blocking her view for miles around. And at least Harry was being considerate and not doing crazy tricks like she had seen him pull during Quidditch games. Relaxing her hold slightly, she settled back to watch. He flew them over fields until she could see the river beneath her, and they followed this out to open water. He stayed close to the shore, but they were far enough out that she could look down and see the wonder that was the sea.

"It's beautiful," she breathed softly.

"I feel so free up here," he spoke quietly. "Flying was always the only true escape I had, until I met you. I was completely in control for the first time in my life, and could leave all of my worried behind." He sighed happily. "Thank you for letting me share this with you, love."

She turned her head and stared at him. With slow movements, she brought her leg around. He looked down at her curiously, his own hands moving to stabilise her, but she just grinned. It took a moment, but soon her legs were wrapped around his waist just under his wings and she was pressed up against his chest.

"Did you have fantasies about doing this?"

He gulped and his eyes darkened.

"Did you ever dream of taking me here, nothing around us but air?"

He nodded shakily.

"Hm."

Her hands snaked down and carefully opened his trousers, freeing him from their confines. With a quick flick of her wand she vanished her knickers. Harry groaned. With his help, she sunk down on him. They loved slowly as he beat his way along the coast, slowly combining the two loves of his life.

* * *

Minerva appeared at the edge of the Greengrass wards, as Steffan had kindly provided coordinates for her. She smiled thinly when she saw he was waiting for her.

"Steffan."

"Hello, Minerva." He pointed his wand and shot a blue light at her, and then she stepped onto the property. She made to walk to the house, but he stopped her. "I'm sorry to ask this, Minerva, but I need something before we can discuss this."

She didn't show her confusion. "I thought this was simply a matter of allowing your daughter provisions to visit her betrothed."

He chuckled weakly. "It is not as simple as that."

"Please don't tell me that you already married off the poor girl."

"I did nothing of the kind. Daphne's situation is rather complicated and unusual, and before I can let you in on the secret I am asking for an oath of nondisclosure for certain facts until the first of September."

"A full oath?" Albus would not like this.

"Yes. The young man in question refuses to even speak to you if you don't allow him this."

She grew concerned. "Is Daphne in danger?" It sounded like he had sold her to the worst sort of man.

"Not from him," Steffan answered simply.

She sighed. "Very well." Oh, Albus was going to blow a gasket, but her first priority was to the school and its students, not the Headmaster. And he was only asking for her silence for a few more weeks.

Her oath given, Steffan escorted her into the house and led her to the sitting room. Daphne and Cordelia were sitting calmly, waiting for her. Her senses went on high alert the moment she entered the room. It wasn't often that her cat nature asserted itself so strongly. She came to an abrupt stop and hissed quietly.

Steffan chuckled. "He wondered if that might happen. He asked that I apologise for him to your inner cat."

She rounded on him. "What in Merlin's name is going on, Steffan?"

"You've heard, no doubt, that Shacklebolt recently was called into a disturbance regarding a Siren. A male Siren."

"Yes, though I'm shocked you know of this. Kingsley told Albus that he had been sworn to secrecy and very few people even know of his involvement."

"I know everything. You see, my daughter was not given in betrothal. She was Siren Bound."

Minerva McGonagall cursed in shock. That would explain her cat instincts. Somewhere nearby, maybe even in this very room, was a rather large bird that it felt threatened by. Shutting her eyes briefly, she drew in a calming breath before walking carefully to a chair and sitting down. Her eyes turned to Daphne. "Did you enter into this of your own free will, child?"

"Of course, Professor. I all but demanded it of him."

"And you know what this will mean for you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"It will be very difficult for us to accommodate this. As I understand it, a newly mated Siren has a very short time frame for being away from their partner. We cannot have you leaving school every few hours."

She gave a small smile. "It will not be necessary that I leave school."

Her eyes went wide. "You mean he is a student?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, Merlin help us." She considered how this changed things. "Still, it will probably be difficult for him. Will it be necessary for the two of you to attend all your classes together?"

Daphne considered this for a moment. "I do not believe so. We separated before for several hours and were fine. Though it will probably be necessary to allow a large break midday, and I'm sure he would appreciate it if we had as many classes together as possible."

"Yes, that can be done. We will also have to provide a set of suitable rooms. Very well, I believe we can see to this. Now, who is the young man in question, and why all this cloak and dagger."

"Funny you should say cloak, Professor," came a familiar voice from the corner.

Minerva whipped her head around and gaped at the form in front of her that was pulling a shimmering cloak off himself. "Harry?" She asked weakly. It looked like him, mostly. He was tall, looking to be about six feet three, and his body had bulked up to a degree that even she took notice. His hair gave off a faint hint of blue and his eyes, that had always been so startling, were now glowing.

He grinned and bowed. "Professor. It is lovely to see you."

She gaped at him. With a smirk, he moved over and slid into the seat next to Daphne. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck before turning back to the professor.

"Mr. Potter... I... I am confused. How did this happen? And why have you told no one? And... I'm afraid I don't understand the connection with Ms. Greengrass."

He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "After... after that night, Professor Dumbledore told me the true contents of the prophecy that he had you protecting for the last year. As you have no doubt surmised, it was in reference to the fact that I will apparently be the one to deal with Voldemort. There is more, but I won't burden you with that. He then proceeded to outline all the many mistakes he had made in regards to me, and claimed that he would make them no longer."

Harry gave a snort of disgust. "Of course, he then sent me straight back to hell on earth with no help whatsoever and the weight of the world on my shoulders. I spent two weeks lost to the world, wishing that it would all just end, and cursing the twist of fate that would not allow me to end it myself without leaving the world in chaos." Daphne flinched, and Harry squeezed her hand. He smiled down at her in reassurance. "Then I received a letter and a visit from Gringotts. Sirius had prepared the work for me to be emancipated after his death, and this set in motion a chain of events that my mother had prepared before her death. They culminated in my becoming a Siren on my sixteenth birthday, my heritage through my mother."

"Lily was? But... she never said a word!"

"I would imagine that neither she nor my father thought it was prudent to let anyone know during those difficult times."

"But... they would have needed the same arrangements that you will."

"Ah, but they did not have to overcome the obstacle of separate houses. I imagine that my father and the Marauders were able to find ways for my parents to be together without anyone else being the wiser. They were also under a good deal less scrutiny than I always am." Minerva gave a resigned sigh and nodded. "And from the reading I have done, I think my... needs as a male might have compounded with my needs as a Siren, making me slightly more... well, you know, than my mother ever was." He smiled sheepishly at the awkwardness of having to discuss this with his teacher. "At first, when I learned what I had become, I flat out refused to even consider looking for my mate. I thought it would put someone in unnecessary danger. However, I reached out for help in controlling my... attractive powers, and Bill Weasley was able to talk some sense into me. It is far more dangerous for me to be unattached, and certain individuals would use that to their advantage. Once I had accepted this, he set up my meeting with Daphne. I believe he knew before I did what she was to me."

"But... how? I was unaware that you had ever even met before."

Harry grinned. "The two weeks prior to my birthday were spent at the Potter home that is nearby. Daphne and I spent time every day together, and became very close. Anyway, the incident at the club was due to a misunderstanding."

"I didn't recognise him, and rebuffed his approach out of loyalty to Harry. He thought..." she choked up momentarily before continuing. "He thought I didn't want him."

Harry grinned wryly. "I wasn't thinking quite clearly. I should not have exposed the existence of a male Siren when I did. Now, however, it is too late to hide that there is one. And I imagine that I can only hide my identity as such until school starts. There will be no way to hide that I have moved out of my dorm, and in with Daphne. And I refused to stay away from her at school in order to try such a deception."

"That is wise, Mr. Potter. However, it still does not explain why I was required to give an oath to keep this from Professor Dumbledore."

"His interference in my life has never done me any good. I am routinely placed in danger despite his insistence that he is protecting me, and he has refused to provide me the training that I so desperately need. As such, I have no loyalty to the man. If he were to find out now, he would try once more to control me, and place unnecessary pressure on Daphne and I. He was here the other day trying to find out who I was, and implying that he would withhold Daphne from me if I didn't conform to his wishes. Because he is unaware of the connection, and my rather altered looks, I have a small degree of anonymity at the moment, which I would very much like to keep. In addition, he would wish to lock me up somewhere. I don't know how much you are aware of the nature of Sirens, but locking me up would be like trying to cage Fawkes. Stupid, demeaning, and immoral. I promise to be as safe as I possibly can, to train hard, and to learn everything about myself so that I can control my new nature. That must be enough for you."

She sighed heavily. She knew his relationship with the Headmaster was strained, but did not realise it was that bad. She recognised that if pushed he would probably run again, and she would rather help him within the confines of what he would accept than force him to run again. "Very well. I have often tried to point out to him the error of his ways where you are concerned. However, I warn you that I will tell him of the oath I was required to take. I have no desire to bring his wrath down on myself."

"Understandable. And thank you."

"Now, to the business that brought me here. I will see what I can do about rearranging the time tables so that both of you will have several hours free in the middle of the day. This may necessitate dropping a less important class. Which are you wishing to continue in?"

"Transfiguration, Charms, Defence, and Care of Magical Creatures." Harry answered promptly.

"You do not wish to continue with Potions?"

"No. My priorities have changed since we last spoke on the subject. And Daphne can make up for any inadequacies I have."

"Very well. Ms. Greengrass?" Minerva's mouthed twisted. "Or is it Mrs. Potter now?"

"The latter, though we may not publicly announce that fact for some time. In any case, I shall answer to both. As for my classes, if possible I would like to continue in Transfiguration, Charms, Defence, Potions, Runes and Arithmancy."

"That is quite a lot given your other commitments."

"Yes, I know." She gave a sigh. "The latter three are important because Harry is weak there, and he has insisted that I continue Defence. As for the other two, I would like to take them, but understand if that is not possible."

Minerva nodded. "Thank you, I shall let you know what I can do. As for your quarters. I had thought to give you a private room off the Slytherin dorms, thinking that you would both be from that house. That will no longer work."

Harry snorted. "No, I don't think that would go over well. They hate me already, and I imagine that they will soon hate Daphne as well."

"Quite. For different reasons, I fear that providing a room in Gryffindor would also be inadvisable."

"Yes. Harry is unsure what the reaction will be to me, but it is almost guaranteed that I won't meet with universal approval. Also, I wish to be able to spend time with my own friends occasionally, and they would not be welcome there."

Minerva considered this before coming to a decision. "There are quarters in the castle for married professors which are currently not being used. I shall pick a suitable location for you and have the elves prepare it for you. Would this be acceptable?"

Daphne smiled. "Yes, that would work wonderfully. Thank you, Professor."

Minerva turned her steely gaze on Harry. "I am aware that you require certain things because of your nature, but keep in mind that you are a role model to most of the younger students. While a certain level of affection in public is permissible, please be circumspect."

He grinned. "Of course." With a brief glance down at Daphne, he continued on in a more serious voice. "There are aspects of my nature that will always be difficult to control. I expect I can deal with student comments. However, prejudice and derision from teachers I will not tolerate."

Minerva sighed. "I shall issue a formal memo to the staff that if any antagonise you they will immediately be facing review by the Board, and if they go after Ms. Greengrass they are responsible for any bodily harm you may inflict upon them. Your name will be withheld for now."

"Thank you, Professor."

* * *

That evening, Daphne disappeared early, after whispering to Harry that she had things to do in her room. He smiled as she left and returned to reading his book. When he grew weary of it, he made his way up to her room. The room was lit by candles when he entered, and he stopped breathing at the sight before him. Daphne was lying naked on her large bed, her feet flat on the mattress leaving her open and exposed. She was shifting on the bed, moaning and groaning.

Harry was frozen, watching her move in utter fascination. He shuddered when her body clenched and she called his name. She opened her eyes and smiled coyly at him.

"If you want the show to continue, strip."

He didn't need to be told twice, and she rewarded him by bringing herself over the brink once more. By this point, he was panting with need. As soon as she removed her hand, he filled her, standing at the foot of the bed and pulling her whole body to and fro on him. When he finally collapsed beside her, she pulled him up the bed and climbed above him. After a long and languorous kiss, she whispered, "I know it will be repeating, but I want to try one of my favourites again, if you're a good little Siren."

Harry's eagerness amply satisfied her.

* * *

_To Hogwarts Staff:_

_As you have no doubt been made aware, there is a male Siren that has recently appeared in Britain. What you may not know is that he has bonded with Ms. Daphne Greengrass. As such, they contacted me to provide accommodations for them this coming year. Ms. Greengrass and the young man in question, who is also a student with us but wishes to remain unnamed until school starts, will have private quarters in the married staff wing. In addition, the new schedules have been made with their situation in mind. The couple has promised to be circumspect when they are in public._

_Due to the young man's nature, they will need time to themselves every day. This time is not to be interrupted without their express permission. Any detentions assigned to the couple will be administered through me. In addition, points shall not be taken for them being together in any way, and I will be monitoring all school related issues for the couple. If any teacher antagonises either of them, I will be immediately submitting you to the Board for a formal review. This in particular means that no comments shall be directed at Ms. Greengrass of a demeaning nature. The young man, by his right, will not tolerate such and has my express permission to retaliate against such. _

_The couple is fully Siren Bound, and hence I do not need to point out to each of you the force and consequences they can rain down upon us if anyone threatens them or their bond. They are no longer bound by the laws of Magical Britain, and hence are only abiding by the Hogwarts bylaws as a courtesy. Please keep this in mind when you are dealing with them._

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

* * *

Bill sat, quietly watching his girlfriend as she moved around the kitchen, singing under her breath. She was cooking him dinner as a pre-emptive apology. He would be gone for the next two days on a job, and that meant that Fleur would be seeking other companionship while he was away. And although he had been aware of this before they even began seeing each other, and there was really very little he could do about it, it still grated on him. He loved her, but if he wished to be with her he had to share her. It was simply impossible for him to satisfy her on his own.

He had been living with this reality for almost a year, and had mostly accepted it as unavoidable. Until Harry's frantic request for help. Now, he was back to thinking about it more than he should. He felt like a cad, but he couldn't stop the wish that Fleur was Siren instead of Veela. He did not mind bowing to her sexual needs and whims, except when it meant he had to share her. In fact, he took great pleasure in her intensely sexual nature. It meant that he could have her whenever he wished, and however he wished. He had yet to find something that she was not eager to try.

At first, this had been exciting and thrilling. Until the first time that she wore him completely out. Unfortunately, she was still in full arousal. So he had watched as she brought another man in as a lover. She had tried to be understanding to him, but it still was a lot to deal with.

Her nature had also caused a serious strain in his relationship with his mother. Molly Weasley might not completely understand what being Veela meant, but she still knew that her eldest son was regularly behaving in a way that she deemed unacceptable. It had gotten even worse since she had caught them in a compromising position in the small bathroom at the Burrow two months ago. She had been livid, sure that the silly girl was corrupting her baby, and that it would soon rub off on his siblings. She had also carefully kept Ginny away from Fleur.

With a shake of his head and a reminder not to brood, Bill wondered what his mother's reaction would be when she learned about Harry. He knew it would be bad enough simply because it was Daphne; his mother never was very tolerant of those she didn't understand. But the fact that the two of them would be regularly up to no good, as she thought, would mortify her. And, worse, it would mean that Ginny no longer had a chance with Harry.

In all honesty, Bill had always known that Harry and Ginny weren't good for each other. He loved his little sister, but he saw how much more she cared about the Boy-Who-Lived than Harry. That was not the type of girl Harry needed. He needed someone who saw him for himself, and who would be strong enough to stand by his side so he didn't have to constantly worry about her. Bill only hoped Daphne could do that.

Bill was shaken out of his thoughts when he caught sight of Fleur standing before him. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. With a grin, he reached for her. He just had to continually remind himself that being with her was worth all the bad parts.

* * *

"Albus! What is the meaning of this?" Severus shouted as he threw the door open. "This is one of my students involved; I have the right to do as I wish!"

Albus sighed heavily. He, too, had been mystified and angered by the staff memo he held in his hands. "She is well within her rights to demand such of us, and she is correct when she points out what we are allowed to do around this couple."

"But she isn't even telling us who it is about. This is ridiculous!"

"Yes, she does seem to be championing them to the extreme. But, then again, we do not know who it is on behalf of, and that might explain her reaction."

"Then make her tell you!"

"I cannot. She is bound by oath, as Kingsley was. This Siren, whoever he is, is making quite sure that his identity is not revealed a moment before it has to be."

Severus threw himself into a chair. "Perhaps I should visit Steffan."

"I tried such, and was summarily dismissed. I do not know if you would be given more, but I doubt it. The Greengrass family seems finally to have taken a stand."

"And it is rather shocking that it is Daphne. She has never even dignified a boy with a response when they approach her. She curses them and walks away."

Albus sat forward, interested. "Then how did she meet this Siren? Minerva says he is a student here, and based on the placement of their quarters I would wager a guess that he isn't a Slytherin."

Severus shrugged. "I have no idea. It is rather shocking to me that anyone was able to breach Daphne's walls. And she definitely isn't the type to be swayed by charm and a pretty face. And, at the same time, she must have known the boy well. She caused no end of trouble for her father by doing this."

"What do you mean?"

"Steffan was negotiating for her contract all summer, and had to rather quickly break that off. As I understand it, Terence Higgs, Marcus Flint, Theodore Nott, Adrian Pucey, Draco Malfoy, Roger Davies, and Terry Boot all had bids in on her."

"I thought young Mr. Malfoy was betrothed to Pansy Parkinson?"

"Lucius was seeking Daphne as a legitimized mistress for his son. He thought it would be enough to gain the Greengrass family's support. I have no idea why he thought Steffan would ever agree to such an arrangement. Daphne hates Pansy nearly as much as she hates Draco."

"Could she have been forced into this binding?"

"It is possible to do. But given the way Steffan seems to be protecting them, I doubt his daughter was forced into anything against her will. Despite appearances, he cares greatly for both his girls. He would not be helping them so much if he had a grudge against the young man." Severus gave a small smile. "In fact, I have no doubt he would have let slip the boy's name when he broke the negotiations, causing no end of trouble for him, if he was at all upset."

Albus sighed. "It seems we will not understand until we discover the identity of this Siren. What does Voldemort think of this?"

"I have no idea. He has called no meeting for over a week."

Albus grew concerned. "Have you any idea what is occupying his time?"

Severus sneered in distaste. "He has grown... amorous of late. He is constantly having the female Death Eaters cater to his physical urges. It is most unusual. I have not seen him ask such before. He has even started to ask for the loan of several men's wives. It is rather disturbing."

Albus carefully masked his distaste. Physical urges were for the weak, and he was shocked and appalled that Voldemort would stoop so low. "Yes, it is very curious, though. I wonder what has caused him to be such. I wish Harry were here to give us an idea what is going through his mind."

Severus' lip curled. "The boy is useless."

Albus shook his head. "You must get past your prejudices, Severus. But it is rather a relief for Voldemort's attention to be focused on places other than causing mayhem and fear. It will give me enough time to prepare Harry to defeat him."

"Potter will never be strong enough to overcome the Dark Lord. His skills may best his common school mates, but they are nowhere near being able to overcome an entry level Death Eater, let alone the Dark Lord."

"They will be just enough, Severus, just enough. I will see to that."

* * *

Harry woke Daphne the next morning by climbing on top of her, entering her forcefully and proceeding to shag her senseless. Then, at his request, they kept to her room for the duration of the morning, and never bothered to put on any clothes. They sat cuddled together on the coach as they both read, with one of Harry's hands gently fondling her breasts. Harry even taught her the various spells that he had shown the DA last year. When she had trouble with her Patronus, he took a seat on the ground, lifted one of her legs up to rest on his shoulder, and gave her one long lick. He pulled back and grinned.

"Give me a corporeal Patronus and I'll finish what I started."

Her regal looking owl, which looked suspiciously like Hedwig, hadn't even faded from sight when Harry buried his face against her soft skin. She thanked him by straddling him and riding him into oblivion.

For lunch, they headed out to meet with the eldest Weasley brother, and hopefully the youngest. Mindful of Ron's issues with jealousy, Harry hoped to get him used to things before school started. Daphne was not amused when the hostess at the small Muggle restaurant tried to slip Harry her number. She glared at the girl and cursed under her breath. When they were shown to an empty table, Daphne pushed Harry into his seat and then climbed into his lap and shoved her tongue into his mouth. Harry was gently helping her rock on top of him when a loud throat cleared behind them. Neither moved.

"Are you sure that's Harry, Bill? Last I saw my best mate he was scared to even talk to a girl. Now he's practically shagging one in public."

Harry pulled back and chuckled. He turned his head to see an amused Ron. "Oh, we haven't tried that yet. But it's on my list."

Ron's mouth dropping open in shock was comical. As Bill pulled him along and pushed him into a seat, Harry carefully lifted Daphne out of his lap and placed her beside him once more. Finally, Ron shook himself out of his stupor. "Bloody hell, Harry. Were you just snogging on a Slytherin? And what the hell happened to you?"

"Ron, I'd like you to meet my wife, mate, and anchor, Daphne Potter, formerly Greengrass."

"Did you say wife?"

Harry merely nodded.

Ron sagged back into his seat. "I'm bloody confused."

"I know the feeling. I promise to explain everything, if you can promise to keep it to yourself."

"Of course, mate." Ron shot him a look that clearly questioned his sanity for ever doubting otherwise, and Harry smiled.

"Even from 'Mione, and the rest of your family. Especially your mother."

"I can't even tell Hermione?"

"No."

"Oh, um, I guess."

Harry nodded before beginning his tale. It was a long one, as he wanted to be completely honest with Ron, and impress upon him why this had to be kept quiet for awhile. Of course, the length of the talk had the expected consequences.

As Harry started to fidget and his hand on Daphne's leg moved higher, she leaned over and whispered in his ear.

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head, and he paused to calm down before grinning at her and shouldering on with his story. He could see that there were parts that Ron had trouble accepting or understanding, but his best mate took it all in. It seemed Ron was finally growing up. When Harry was done, the four of them sat in silence for nearly ten minutes as Ron processed. Even Bill hadn't heard the entire story before, but he held his questions. Harry would be around for awhile, and he needed Ron to accept him more than Bill needed his curiosity sated.

Ron raised his head with a steel glint in his blue eyes. "Are you going to be okay with this mate? I know it is... different."

Harry shrugged. "I don't really have a choice. But I think I will be. It was... hard for the first few days, without Daphne. Now, well, the benefits far outweigh the costs."

"Good. And..." Ron's nervous gaze shot to Daphne. "You're going to take care of my best mate, right? And be good to him? Because he really does deserve it."

Daphne smiled softly. She recognised that it was extremely hard for him to be accepting of a Slytherin, and was touched that he had made no mention of it since his original reaction. "Yes, Ron, I'm going to take the very best care of him that I can." She turned to gaze longingly at Harry. "I love him more than I can possibly explain, and I loved him before he turned into a sex god." Harry coughed uncomfortably and Ron and Bill smirked at him. Daphne smiled indulgently before continuing on in a soft voice. "I never thought I would find love. I was raised with the idea that I would be given in contract, no matter how much my parents love me. It is simply our way. I was also raised to believe that the relationship between a husband and wife is never equal. I am very glad to be proven wrong."

"And your dad, he's not..."

"He is not a Death Eater."

"I knew that much. What I meant was, he's not going to be influenced by any that he might know to hurt Harry, is he?"

She was sad that he felt the question needed to be asked, but reluctantly acknowledged to herself that she recognised why he felt so. "No, Ron. I think my father is coming to like Harry very much. But, regardless, he would never harm him, for my sake alone."

Ron breathed a small sigh of relief. "Then I look forward to getting to know you."

Daphne smiled. "And I, as well. You have surprised me today, Ronald Weasley, and in the best possible way."

It was getting late in the day, and Bill had to get Ron home by dinner time, so they said their goodbyes. Daphne pulled Bill aside for a whispered question which had the older man grinning like a fool as he looked at Harry. Daphne was beaming, so she must have liked his answer.

* * *

Ron Weasley was sitting out by the pond, his eyes blank as he was lost in thought. It had been an unusual summer for him. After the fight in the Department of Mysteries, it had really hit home to him that this was war, and that Harry was right in the middle of it. And if he wanted to remain friends with Harry, he would have to grow up. Gone were the days when all he had to worry about was chess and Quidditch and Snape and Malfoy. Malfoy seemed like child's play next to the evil they had come face to face with that night.

Ron had already come to this realisation when Bill came to see him last night. It had been an odd visit.

"Hey, Ron."

Ron looked up from where he was playing Ginny at chess, blinking to pull his mind away from his several strategies. "Bill! What are you doing here?"

Bill smiled. "Do you have time for a chat?" Ginny looked up curiously.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Let's take a walk."

Shrugging, Ron stood and followed him out. He wondered why Bill wouldn't talk in front of Ginny. When they had walked a good way from the house, Bill stopped and pulled his wand. Ron eyed it as Bill went through several complicated motions before seeming to be satisfied and putting it away.

"Bill? What's going on?"

"I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Ron's eyes narrowed. He had never seen his brother so serious. "Okay."

"I want to take you to see Harry tomorrow."

Ron's eyes went wide. "You know where he is? But everyone is looking for him and you haven't said a thing!"

Bill gave an odd smile. "Yes, I've known for awhile. He came to me for help right after his birthday."

Ron considered this. Time was he would have flown off the handle knowing that Harry went to someone besides him, but now he recognised that maybe his best mate had a good reason. "Why you?"

"Because I had experience in something that no one else does."

"Okay." Ron eyed his brother carefully. "How is he?"

Bill smiled. "Much better. He was having a bit of a hard time there for awhile, but things are going well for him now."

"Good."

"He asked to see you."

Ron frowned slightly. "Why hasn't he written?" He certainly didn't blame Harry for wanting to get away from his relatives, but he had been hurt that his best mate hadn't even taken the time to let him know he was okay.

"Because he knows that you're the very first person everyone would go to if they want to find out where he is."

"And he knows I can't protect that knowledge." Ron couldn't easily forget how hard Harry had worked at those Occlumency lessons, and he still hadn't really made any progress.

Bill nodded.

"Okay. And we can't tell anyone what we're doing?"

"Right. Just tell them you're spending the day with me." Ron nodded. "I want to warn you, Ron." His eyes shot to his brother's, worried. "A lot has changed with Harry in the last couple of weeks. Give him the opportunity to explain before you jump all over him."

Now, knowing the truth, Ron wished that Bill had given him a bit clearer of a warning. It had been a huge shock to walk in and see Harry happily snogging the life out of the girl in his lap, and even more when he saw who it was. Ron recognised her instantly, but he didn't think Harry had ever spared her a glance before.

And then, Harry had introduced her as his wife.

That was actually much more of a shock than the Siren thing. Maybe it was because he hadn't really seen much of that. Bill had explained, on the way home, what being a Siren meant. And, aside from really wanting to see those wings, Ron didn't think much of it mattered to him. He had felt the surging of jealously when he realised that Harry could have any girl he wanted, but he was able to push it down and really think about it. Harry had always been able to have a lot of girls, and had never taken advantage of it. And now, it seemed more a nuisance than anything. And the way Harry explained it, he had magically bound himself to Daphne so tightly he would never even look at another girl.

That fact made it much easier for Ron to control his jealousy.

At the moment, Ron Weasley decided that he would stick behind Harry, no matter what.

There were still several things that were harder to swallow. He had no idea why Harry wanted to keep this from Hermione. They had always shared everything, and yet, from the expression on Harry's face, he got the impression that Harry didn't want to share anything with her every again. For now, Ron would keep his secret, but he hoped someone would soon explain why he was.

But the hardest thing for him to get his head around was Daphne herself. Ron was glad that, if Harry had to be with a Slytherin, he had at least chosen one whose father wasn't running around with Moldy Shorts at night. He probably would have still exploded at the thought of Harry with a snake, if he hadn't caught sight of Harry's face first. He had never seen such an expression of joy and happiness on his best mate before, and he found himself instantly grateful to the girl who had put it there, no matter who she was.

He wondered if Harry wouldn't mind sharing some of his secrets with him. He had to have serious moves if he had melted the Ice Princess so thoroughly.

* * *

After dinner and a relatively quiet evening, Daphne stood and bid goodnight to her family, pulling Harry resolutely behind her. With the door safely shut behind them, she ordered Harry to strip and pulled off her own clothes. Then she pushed him eagerly down onto the bed.

Hours later, as the fire was starting to die, Daphne stirred awake. She stretched in his lap, and Harry drew in a sharp intake of breath at the sight. Grinning, she turned around in his lap. "Do you like what you see, Mr. Potter?"

"I've never seen something so beautiful before."

"Hmmm, such a good Siren you are. I think you need to be rewarded."

He groaned. With a devious smile she sunk down on him and rode him roughly, causing her chest to bounce inches from his face. Grinning, Harry leaned forward and buried his face in her cleavage as she moved on him while his hands groped her bum. With a growl, he stood abruptly with her wrapped around him and strode over to the bed. Without breaking contact, he laid her down and continued to thrust into her. One of his hands pulled both of hers up and pinned them to the bed above her head while the other planted firmly on the centre of her back and arched her up so he could feast on her well-displayed chest.

* * *

A/N: So I know this took a bit. I am in the process of preparing my dissertation and simultaneously applying for jobs, it takes a bit of my time. In addition, this story is 90 percent finished meaning I am just filling in details here and there that give me trouble. I did, however, get some quality work done this last week, so that was nice.

As for my dealings with Ron and Hermione. In general, I am a huge Hermione fan. (I have even recently started tinkering with my very first Harry/Hermione story). However, she can't always be the good understanding friend. In this story, I decided to make Ron be the understanding one (Harry being a Siren made this much easier to do.) I realise this is out of character, but that's the whole fun of fan fiction.

Also, some complained about Daphne's parents. I wrote them like that because they literally thought the very worst, and that they're carefully maintained neutrally had fallen apart in the worst way. I hope this chapter helps you realise that they are not horrible people, even if I disagree with them sometimes. That being said, Harry is making many concessions because he doesn't want Daphne to lose her family.

I've tried really hard not to be too explicit. I tried to allude to certain of the more... interesting acts without describing them.

As always, I look forward to your comments, those please actually comment on my story and not on what you perceive will happen. Also, many of the clichés in fan fiction are clichés because they follow so very well from canon. Thus for those of us who try and stay relatively close, it is natural to include them. I try to tweak things a bit in each of my stories, asking a what if question, but I don't like changing everything.


	5. Chapter 5

_Rumours Continue About New Siren and a Possible Mate_

_By Laurelie Mangaman_

_The rumours continue to grow about the new Siren. While we are still unable to determine who he is, new evidence has come to light that he might have mated with Daphne Greengrass, a stunningly beautiful sixteen-year-old currently attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_The first hint of such came when this reporter overheard Harold Davies complaining to a co-worker about Steffan Greengrass mysteriously backing out of all negotiations for his eldest daughter's marriage contract. Evidently, the only explanation offered to the rejected suitors was that she had been recently bound in ritual and would no longer be seeking a contract of any kind. There are precious few rituals that would interfere with a marriage contract, and being Siren Bound is one of them._

_The second piece of evidence came when a clerk in the Ministry confessed to seeing young Miss Greengrass and her mother come in to determine her status with the Ministry. Immediately after they left the office of Mafalda Hopkirk, the distraught Ministry employee was seen practically running towards the Department of Mysteries, muttering about 'unheard of readings' and various other things she had never seen before. In addition, inquiring minds were able to determine that Miss Greengrass' official status has changed with the Ministry from unmarried and underage witch to 'Bound and Exempt'. This is a special category that exists especially for individuals who are ritually bound in such a way that they Ministerial laws no longer apply to them. _

_Currently, she is the only individual known to have such status._

_This reporter was even able to find an Auror, one of those who responded to the initial call about a Siren sighting, who confessed to seeing Miss Greengrass that night. Indeed, he recalls that there was quite a stir about her, and that she spent a bit of time talking to the lead Auror before disappearing. She is one of three guests at the club that night that did not receive at least a partial Obliviate._

_All of this adds up to the conclusion that Daphne Greengrass has caught the eye of our new Siren, and may in fact already be Bound as his mate. Little surprise, as she is rumoured to be one of the most beautiful girls currently at Hogwarts. _

_We were unable to contact either her or her family for comment at this time._

* * *

Tracey Davis was pacing in front of the fireplace, her hands twisting nervously in front of her. Daphne was coming to visit her today, and she was bringing Harry. Tracey didn't quite know how to feel about this. She had been friends with Daphne since the very first night in their dorm room at Hogwarts, but it had always been a friendship more of convenience. Neither wanted to spend any time with Pansy, and Daphne seemed content to never get close to anyone. Daphne had always been closed off to the world. It was rare that Daphne let any of her real personality show through. An integral part of this mask was Daphne's disdain for boys. Tracey knew why she did it, and for many years the Ice Princess persona was simply a part of her friend that she accepted. It wasn't until fourth year that Tracey started getting concerned. That was the year she started seeing Blaise, and she finally understood just how pleasant having a boyfriend could be. But Daphne remained uninterested.

Tracey had tried. She had scoured through Hogwarts and brought numerous boys to Daphne's attention, but her friend remained unmoved. Tracey's concern was growing each month that passed without Daphne even looking at a boy. She knew her friend would probably be contracted, and that her chance of a loving marriage was slim, so she wanted to encourage Daphne to be happy while she could.

This was the situation when Daphne flooed over several weeks ago with stars in her eyes. Tracey's jaw had dropped open in shock. Daphne had blushed when Tracey had questioned her. She admitted to liking someone, but refused to tell her who it was. Then her happiness dimmed as she admitted that she knew it could never go anywhere and that he was leaving in a few days. Tracey wasn't all that concerned; first loves didn't usually last that long. She was simply happy that the ice around her friend had started to melt.

When the inevitable day came that the boy left, Tracey was there to comfort her friend. She had to mask her shock at how affected Daphne seemed to be; this seemed more than the disappointment of a first crush. She had encouraged Daphne to find another boy, but Daphne wouldn't hear anything of it. And then Taylor had come for a visit and told her that an old school friend had written, asking about Daphne. So they plotted and it took her two days to get Daphne to go to the club with her.

Ah, the club. As soon as they entered the room, her eye had been drawn to the centre where a man was dancing. She, like every other girl in the room, was entranced by him. Tracey had turned to Daphne, grinning, and was shocked by the look in her friend's eyes. Daphne, the self-proclaimed Ice Princess of Hogwarts, was staring at the man with unbridled lust. Tracey was just starting to pull her into the crowd when Daphne's face fell, and her eyes dropped to the floor. "He's not who I want," she had whispered. So Tracey had slowed down and started dancing, unobtrusively moving closer to the centre of the dance floor with each song.

The man seemed perfectly willing to dance with anyone, and before she knew it, it was her turn. Knowing that Daphne was interested in him, Tracey managed to refrain from mauling him, but it was difficult. She had never seen such a beautiful man before; she found it difficult to look away from his startling green eyes. Her hand that wasn't held in his was clenched around his bicep, wanting desperately to caress it, but she held back. She was disappointed when the song came to an end, and blushed hotly when he kissed the back of her hand and offered her a crooked smile. Then he turned in Daphne's direction. Tracey turned, too, nearly giddy with excitement.

The next few minutes were a confused blur in her mind. Daphne had turned away from the beautiful man, and Tracey had raced after her, completely confused why her friend was so upset and trying to calm her down anyway. Then there was that loud explosion and she had turned around in just enough time to see the man, with a pair of massive black wings coming out of his back, take off into the giant hole in the ceiling. She was still blinking in shock when the Aurors arrived and began asking questions. She was confused when the room fell silent and everyone stared at the tall black Auror who was questioning Bill Weasley. She heard Bill claim the man was a Siren, and her eyes widened. It was Bill who had made sure Daphne was here, and Bill who was friends with the beautiful man. She turned to Daphne, wondering how she could have possibly forgotten to mention that her boy was a _Siren_.

She listened carefully as Bill explained things to Daphne, her brain trying to piece things together. A black-haired, green-eyed boy that knew a Weasley, that the Aurors seemed obsessed with protecting, that Daphne refused to share his name, and that she knew her father would never accept a contract from. Daphne was in love with Harry Potter. And he had turned into a Siren.

Daphne had left that night with Bill, to go find Harry. And, judging from the frantic floo call from her father the next morning, she had stayed out all night. As Tracey had looked up Sirens in her family's library; she was fairly sure she knew what that meant.

She hadn't heard a word from Daphne until last night, but she read the rumours of a new Siren. She knew Daphne would come to her eventually, and she had. Last night a beautiful snowy owl that Tracey recognised as Potter's had flown in with a note asking if they could visit.

Now, she was nervous. She didn't know how to act in front of the boy who was showing himself to be so much more than the Gryffindor Golden Boy, and whom the papers had taken to calling the Chosen One.

The fireplace flared, and Harry and Daphne stepped out, his arms wound around her. Tracey's eyes widened as he raised his hand, banishing the soot from their clothes, before placing a kiss on the top of her head. They turned towards her, and Daphne smiled brilliantly before rushing forward and hugging her. Tracey froze in shock. Never, in all the years they had been friends, had Daphne hugged her. Finally released from her friend's arms, Tracey struggled to find her voice. She blinked to clear her head.

"Hello, Daphne. You look... different."

Daphne smiled, her hand reaching behind her to find Harry's and pull him forward. "Yes, I imagine so." She tucked herself into his side, one hand winding around his waist and the other coming up to rest on his chest. "Tracey, this is my Harry. Harry, my best friend Tracey."

Harry smiled down at her, and she was shocked to realise that the strange attraction she felt for him that night at the club didn't resurface. She recognised his beauty, and was flustered in his presence, but she no longer had to restrain herself from jumping him. She offered her hand, which he took and once more kissed. "Hello, Harry." Tracey turned to her friend and wrinkled her brow in confusion at the analysing look on Daphne's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, no! I'm just relieved to see that Harry has more control over his allure now."

Tracey chuckled. "I'm guessing there's a story there."

"Yes. When I introduced him to Astoria I had to practically sit in his lap to allow her to focus on anything besides him. Even mother had trouble those first few days." She grinned wryly at Harry, who was blushing faintly. "I don't think my father approved of the method I used to help him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Enough of that. Surely we have more important things to talk about?"

The girls chuckled, and then each took one of his arms and led him from the room. Harry spent the morning happily watching as Daphne finally let her best friend into her whole heart.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when Lord Voldemort blinked awake. His entire body felt... odd, and he was having trouble remembering the last several days very well. Without even moving, he carefully retreated into his own mind to search for the memories and try and determine the cause of his... unease. This was a habit he had developed long ago as a small child; he had not used it in years.

He distinctly remembered speaking with Bella about his plans for an attack against Amelia Bones. He remembered meeting with the Dementors about the release of his pathetic servants from Azkaban. He remembered calling Severus in to ask whether Dumbledore had found the Potter brat. And then... the only memories after that were of extreme lust and the feeling that he could never get enough.

Odd.

With a sigh, he sat up and looked around him, only to come up short at the figure beside him. It was a young girl that he vaguely remembered asking his Death Eaters to capture for him. She was clearly dead, but what was shocking was that she was covered in an array of bruises, and lying in a pool of blood. He had no recollection of doing that to her. He looked down at himself and drew in a ragged breath.

He was naked, and his own body was covered in similar bruises, though not to the same extent. The girl's blood was splattered all over him, and his manhood was covered in it.

Lord Voldemort, who prided himself on being above all the petty human needs and wants, was sickened to discover that he appeared to have literally used the girl to death. And he really had no memory of doing so.

What was wrong with him?

* * *

By Harry's request, Daphne was spending the afternoon with her mother on some errand or other. Harry had learned long ago not to ask when females went off on their own. After a rather long kiss goodbye, Harry wandered into the library and smiled when he found Astoria curled up there. Daphne had told him that it was quite possible Astoria loved to read even more than Hermione. He had a hard time believing this, but he did know that Astoria always could be found curled up with a book. He took his time walking over to her, carefully observing his sister-in-law.

Astoria looked a great deal like her older sister, except for in the eyes, but Harry had been shocked to discover that their differing personalities were so visually evident. He had been concerned, initially, that the strong resemblance between the sisters would cause him problems; he was so physically attracted to Daphne it was only logical to assume that her younger doppelganger would affect him similarly. It had been a relief to discover this was not the case. While he was able to recognise Astoria's beauty, he had no pull towards her. However, he still felt a great deal of affection for the shy girl before him. It hadn't taken very long for him to step into the role of big brother, even if it was only in his head. Today, he meant to further that.

"Afternoon, Astoria," he called as he got close. She looked up, startled, before smiling brightly at him.

"Hello, Harry." She gestured to the seat next to her. "Would you like to join me?"

He grinned. "Nope. I'm here to kidnap you."

Her eyes shot wide. "What?"

"We're going to spend the afternoon together."

"But... we can't... isn't that..."

He chuckled. "Come on. We'll be perfectly fine." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up and started to tug her along behind him.

"Where's Daphne?"

"Out with your mother." He turned and grinned at her. "I didn't ask."

Astoria allowed him to lead her along and out of the house without further protest. They cleared the wards before he stopped and opened his arms to her. She giggled quietly as she stepped forward and allowed his arms to wrap around her.

They appeared in a dim alley and she looked around curiously. "Where are we going?"

He started tugging on her hand once more and pulled her out into the street. They darted across to stand in front of a large building which she stared up at in awe. "The London Library. The Muggles have exhibits and things in their large libraries; I thought you might enjoy exploring for a bit."

She turned and grinned at him. "Thank you, Harry!"

Harry laughed and proceeded to follow her as they entered. For several hours he followed her around, amused at her childlike excitement for the space around her. They examined many of the exhibits and pieces of artwork that were displayed before wandering the shelves. Harry led her to the science section and explained that this was what the Muggles used in place of magic. Excited, she pulled random books of the shelves before tugging him along to a large couch and digging right in. He laughed quietly.

"Will you be okay for a few minutes?" She looked up at him curiously. "I'm kind of interested in what the Muggles say about Sirens."

"Sure, Harry."

He pointed to a section on the other side of the room from where she was seated. "I'll just be over there for a bit if you need me."

She grinned and shooed him away, happily returning to her books. Harry, not having spent much time in a Muggle library before, asked the lady at the help desk where he might find information about Sirens. He claimed he was doing a report for one of his classes, and told her he was interested in the more historical accounts of the legends instead of the fanciful stories. She smiled and led him along, finding several books for him. Harry thanked her and took the books with him. He was already anxious about leaving Astoria alone.

She was still happily reading her book, but Harry sped up as soon as he saw her. Sitting on the couch next to her where two boys that were eying her hungrily. Harry growled low in his throat, but kept himself from running to her side. She hadn't even noticed them yet, so they clearly weren't bothering her. He walked up confidently and set his own books on the table before taking the seat next to her, his eyes firmly fixed on the boy who was glaring at him as he sat.

Astoria jumped and looked up before smiling. "Find anything interesting?" She asked.

"A couple of books on Sirens. Haven't looked through them yet."

She grinned. "Any of them look true?"

He rolled his eyes for affect; clearly she hadn't realised they were no longer alone. "Of course not. You know there's no such thing as Sirens."

Her brow scrunched in confusion until his eyes slid over to look at the two boys. She turned sharply. "Oh!" She blushed spectacularly at almost saying something in front of two Muggles.

The boy on the left took this to mean something quite different. He smirked at her. "Hello, gorgeous. Why don't you ditch book boy over there and take a walk with me?"

Astoria looked flustered and turned back to Harry. He smiled softly to let her know he would take care of it before turning to the boys. "That's alright, boys. We have to be going anyway."

He glared back. "Why don't you let the lady make up her own mind?"

Harry's grin turned predatory. "Do you often make a habit of hitting on thirteen year-old girls in front of their older brothers?"

The boy's eyes went wide. "Uh... sorry. We thought she was... yeah... we'll just be going."

Harry laughed as they beat a hasty retreat, and then turned back to Astoria. She was staring at him curiously. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She ducked her head. "I didn't realise you thought that way about me."

He grinned and moved over so he could throw his arm around her shoulders. "Course. I quite like having a sister." She blushed. "Now, have you ever seen a movie before?"

* * *

The next few days were busy for the couple. Each morning, Harry and Daphne would gleefully pick out one or several of the pages from his various books and test them out. Some of them, Daphne found herself not enjoying much, and they immediately stopped and moved on to something more enjoyable for both. Occasionally, Harry was uncomfortable with it, and they moved on. Generally, these were the ones that were too demeaning to Daphne, or tried to mix pain with the pleasure. Harry simply couldn't handle the thought of either. But the experience always ended in pleasure for both. After their morning delights, they would have breakfast with her family, and then proceed to their work. Steffan had found someone capable of teaching Harry Occlumency correctly, and they met every morning, with Daphne sitting nearby to try and improve her own skills. She even added an emotional block to her mental illusion, figuring that the mate of Harry Potter could never be too careful. Then, in the afternoons, they would retire to her room to study for the rest of the day. Daphne developed an ingenious method of motivating Harry to try his best. For every five defensive spells or curses he learned, she removed an article of clothing. As they were working on spell work, and hence being rather active in their movements, Harry greatly enjoyed this as each day wore on. Usually, it ended with him tackling her to the floor or pinning her to the wall and ravishing her for hours on end.

Neither one saw any reason to complain.

It didn't take long for their instructor to declare Harry the best Occlumen he had ever seen, and then those lessons were replaced with duelling and combat training from an old school mate of Steffan. At first, Harry hated the man, as he would attack Daphne at every opportunity. It wasn't until he started to be able to pull up his unusual shielding powers at will that he recognised what the man had done. Of course, he didn't start liking him until he left Daphne alone.

They rarely left the grounds, neither wanting to test running into anyone. The articles still appearing in the Prophet let them know that the world now knew of Daphne's role, though Harry's identity was still a secret. Speculation was rife, and many times ludicrous. They had no doubt that if they went anywhere they would be quickly followed.

With these many things to keep them busy the month of August quickly flew past. The evening of August 30th, Daphne pulled the book out of Harry's hands and stood in front of him.

"We are taking tonight and tomorrow off, love."

He grinned. "As you wish."

"I know you are worried about going out, but I want you to take me dancing tonight. We never did get our dance, you know."

He sighed. "Very well, but I'm wearing a glamour."

She pouted. "I don't like you not looking like yourself. What about just hiding the scar?"

He considered this. When he didn't look to be capitulating quickly enough, Daphne climbed into his lap. She arched against his body, rubbing suggestively as she did. That was all the convincing Harry needed.

Half an hour later, he was waiting in the hallway. She had kicked him out of her room, saying that she wanted to surprise him. It hadn't taken him long to get ready. He was wearing a tight pair of black jeans and a skin-tight dark blue shirt that he knew Daphne liked. He had run some gel through his hair to spike it up a bit, and applied his glamour. When he heard steps on the stairs, he looked up.

His mouth dropped open. "You look phenomenal, Daphne." She was wearing a tight emerald green dress that barely covered her bum and showed him plenty of cleavage. Her shoulders were bare except for the thin straps holding the dress up. She was wearing spindly little heels that made her legs look fantastic, and Harry's eyes happily roamed her body.

She grinned at the look on his face. "Why thank you, kind sir. You look positively sinful."

He smirked and stepped forward to take her hand. "Shall we go?"

She nodded. Not wanting to trigger anyone's memory of their last visit, they were going to a different club than the last time, and a Muggle one at that, to be on the safe side. When they arrived, they confidently strode into the room, not even pausing as every eye in the room turned to them. Neither cared for anyone else.

Harry pulled her into the middle of the dance floor and pulled her body tightly against his. His hands were tight on her hips as they moved together, and she wound hers into his hair. They danced tightly together for several songs, ignoring when someone else tried to get their attention. When a slow and steady beat announced a new sultry song, Daphne smiled up at him.

"Time to get dirty, Mr. Potter."

She turned in his arms, and pushed back into him, rubbing her whole body along his as she sunk to the floor and back up. Harry folded himself around her. One hand was resting dangerously low on her hips, while the other arm was resting across her chest, between her breasts, with his hand flat against her sternum. He dropped his head to her neck and started kissing her there as they moved.

Daphne was nearly panting with need, as after another song Harry's hands moved from dangerously close to simply dangerous. She only lasted one more song before she turned in his arms. He grinned and pulled her to him. Dropping all pretences of being proper, he dropped one hand to hold her bum and the other pulled her leg up around his hip, resting comfortably on her thigh. He ground his leg into her and smirked when her head fell back as she moaned. When she pulled her head back up and met his eyes, they were both wild with want. Stepping back from him, she took his hand and led him through the sea of bodies. He followed her until they had locked themselves into the small bathroom in the back, and then became a man possessed. He took her repeatedly, grinning at the fact that he hadn't put a silencing charm up in this Muggle club. He liked the idea of everyone knowing what he was doing to her.

* * *

Molly Weasley was humming to herself as she folded the laundry. Tomorrow, her two youngest left for Hogwarts. She hoped it would be an eventful year for both of them. Her Ronnie was growing into such a fine young man. She wondered if Hermione would finally realise what was right in front of her. Ronnie had liked her for so long. And then there was her baby, Ginevra. The girl had grown into quite a beautiful young lady. Molly sighed. She needed to have a talk with her today.

The smells of breakfast permeating the house pulled both of her remaining children down into the kitchen. Ron looked barely awake as he started to shovel food into his mouth, but Ginny was already dressed for the day and chatting happily. Yes, it was time for that talk. When breakfast was finished and Ron had been reminded, once again, that he needed to pack today, Molly spoke to her youngest.

"Ginny, dear, let's take a walk and talk a bit."

"Okay, Mum."

The two Weasley women walked quietly along their familiar path. It had become a tradition of theirs; whenever they needed to talk girl things they left the house and all the boys behind and took this particular path.

Molly finally broke the silence. "You're growing up so fast, my Ginny, and you've become quite a fine young lady this summer."

Ginny blushed. "Thanks, Mum."

"Now you remember the talk we had when you started Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Mum."

"I know that you are getting older and more interested in boys. Heavens knows I was at your age. I'm not going to tell you to stay away from them, but promise me that you'll be careful."

"Yes, Mum. And I'm not really interested in most boys. I'm just biding my time until..."

"Until Harry finally notices you?" Molly said knowingly.

"Yeah," Ginny whispered.

"Well, boys are dense, dear. Maybe you need to do something to get his attention."

"What do you mean, Mum?"

"Boys are driven by their hormones at his age, dear. If you want his attention, dress the part and make sure he knows what he could have. And you can't be too subtle what you are offering, or he probably won't understand. Harry is woefully ignorant in such matters."

"Are you saying you would be okay with me..." Ginny was staring at her mother, shock mixing with horror on her face. Surely her mother wasn't suggesting...

"Well, if it were for Harry, dear. Goodness knows that boy needs something good in his life. And Professor Dumbledore mentioned that he was worried about Harry brooding again this year. If you want to distract him from his worrying, I'm not going to stop you."

Ginny blinked in shock. Maybe her mother just meant dressing more provocatively. She could do that. There was no way that Molly Weasley was advocating for her only daughter to seduce a boy. "Okay, Mum," she said hesitantly. She wasn't really comfortable with what her mother was suggesting. But there were certainly things she could do to attract his attention. "Oh, can you help me with my outfit for tomorrow? I need to get his attention, right? And I'm going to try to sit with him while Ron and Hermione are at the prefect meeting. It's the perfect time to get him alone and talk to him."

Molly Weasley smiled to herself as her daughter talked. If everything went as she thought, Harry Potter would soon be falling under her daughter's spell, and then he really would be her son. Even Albus thought they would be great together. It simply was meant to be.

* * *

Harry looked up and smiled when Daphne groaned and pulled herself up. "Good morning, beautiful."

She grinned happily at the sight of him. He was sitting in an armchair by the window and reading, completely naked. He knew she didn't like it when he got dressed before her. She climbed out of bed and sauntered over to him, where he reached out and pulled her into his lap. There he engaged in his typical morning ritual when she came upon him studying. He suckled happily on one of her breasts while burying his hand deep inside her and seeing how loud he could make her scream.

When Daphne was a spent mess on top of him, he pulled the book back towards them. "This looks fun today."

She grinned up at him. "Oh, no, I have plans for today."

He looked down at her curiously. "You do?"

"Yes." She sat up and her face grew devious.

Neither of them emerged from her room that day, and it was a day that would often star in Harry's fantasies for the rest of his life. Late that night, Harry looked at Daphne who was beaming in front of him. With a growl, he pulled her down onto the bed and rolled on top of her. He nipped at her ear before whispering, "You are every dream I've ever had incarnate. Thank you."

She grinned and pulled his head to kiss him fiercely for a moment, then pulled back. "I decided today was a day for something special. But don't get used to that, Potter."

He smirked. "I won't. You keep me amply satisfied on a normal day."

She smiled happily. "Good." Truthfully, she had been a bit worried that he would expect that regularly. She should have known better. Her Harry wasn't like other guys, for which she was immensely grateful. "Are you going to show me your thanks," she asked coyly.

His grin grew feral. "I'm going to shag you senseless, so you bloody well better be ready."

She gasped. Her proper Harry never used such language, but she liked it. She liked it a lot.

As Harry fell asleep, he smirked knowing he had beaten his previous record today. It was a good feeling.

* * *

Albus ambushed Minerva outside her rooms early in the morning.

"Are you going to finally tell me who it is?" He demanded.

She pursued her lips to hide her mirth. The great Albus Dumbledore reduced to begging; it was hilarious. "He will tell you himself later today. You can wait."

Albus growled and turned to stalk away. She distinctly heard him mutter "Damned woman" as he left.

Privately, she didn't expect him to wait that long. She was sure he would have someone spying at the train station this morning, if he didn't show up himself.

* * *

Harry woke Daphne the next morning deep inside her. He made slow and sweet love to her, crooning his love for her in her ear. When he collapsed on top of her, she caressed his back softly.

"What was that for?" Usually in the mornings his passion was so intense he never just made sweet love to her.

He placed a kiss against her ribbon. "I wanted to make sure you knew, that no matter how much I enjoyed yesterday, we don't have to be wild and adventurous for me to love every minute with you."

She smiled and buried her hands in his hair. "Your love was never in any doubt, Siren of mine."

They had half an hour until they had to get up and get ready, and they spent it cuddled contentedly, closeness enough for now.

Steffan, not wanting to see the fireworks that were sure to explode the minute Harry and Daphne arrived at King's Cross, chose to say his goodbyes to them in the breakfast parlour. He hugged his daughter tightly and whispered in her ear, before turning to Harry.

He shocked the lad by pulling him into his own hug. When he pulled back, he said, "You take care of my little girl, Harry. You make her happy in ways I could never have even imagined, and, despite my initial misgivings, I'm happy that she found you."

Harry offered his hand for a firm shake. "Thank you for the best gift I could ever receive, sir. I will adore her for the rest of my life, and most probably beyond."

Daphne and her mother commandeered each of their men after that and expressed their thanks. Surprisingly, it was the elder couple's that was the most passionate. Daphne and Harry both smiled at the sight.

With a deep breath, Harry turned to Daphne. "Are you ready for this?" She smiled and nodded. He patted his pocket to make sure their shrunken trunks were still there, and then held his hand out for her.

The typical noise went completely silent as Harry and the three Greengrass women stepped onto the platform. Harry mentally groaned. He had been right. Everyone seemed to have been standing around waiting for Daphne to show up to find out who he was. He noticed the appreciative, and sometimes lecherous, looks he was receiving from most of the female population, along with the glares from numerous males. He had to fight not to role his eyes at that. They knew he was Bound. It wasn't like he was going to try and seduce their women. Astoria, who didn't like to be in the spotlight, quickly kissed her mother's cheek and darted into the crowd to find her own group of friends. Harry watched her go carefully, making sure that no one took advantage of her to try and get to him. When she was safely on the train, he turned his attention back to the crowd in front of him.

It amused him that no one seemed to recognise who he was at first. That was, until they were halfway to the train and a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Harry?"

He turned until he caught sight of Hermione Granger. She was staring at him in shock, and a disturbing amount of lust. He shuddered and pulled Daphne closer so that he could wrap an arm around his waist.

"Hello, Hermione." His voice was stilted. He hadn't forgotten what Daphne had told him about her, and the look on Hermione's face wasn't doing anything to convince him that his new opinion was wrong.

Of course, Hermione's greeting set the rest of the platform off, and he heard as they started to recognise him and point it out, not too quietly, to their friends.

"Harry Potter!" He turned to see the Weasley matriarch marching on him, Ron and Ginny trailing after him. Ron had an amused grin on his face, while Ginny was practically drooling as she stared at him. He tried to avoid looking at her, especially as her skirt was almost indecently short and she desperately needed to do up two more buttons on her shirt. "What did you do to yourself?"

He sighed. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. How was your summer?"

"Don't you ignore my questions, young man! I demand that you explain yourself. Running around with some Slytherin strumpet instead of some nice respectable girl. Why I..."

She cut off as Harry levelled his wand right between her eyes. He didn't need it anymore, but it was much more impressive for this situation. In a hard voice, he spoke. "Despite what you may think, you are not my mother, Mrs. Weasley. I was born a Siren, and came into my power as my mother intended this summer. I owe you no explanations. As for the girl by my side, you will offer her the respect she deserves if you ever want me to tolerate your presence again."

"But... listen here... why couldn't you have found... she's... I have half a mind to..."

Harry's glare intensified. "You would do well not to finish that thought, ma'am. Do you not know what it means to be Siren Bound? I cannot be separated from Daphne, and I would suggest that you not try, for you will not like the consequences."

"Now see here! You can't threaten me!"

"I am well within my rights to do as I wish if my mate is threatened. You forget, ma'am, that neither of us is bound by the laws of your Ministry." Abruptly, Harry turned to face his best mate who wore an amused look on his face. "Ron, it's good to see you again, mate."

Ron grinned. "Harry, Daphne, you two sure know how to make a commotion. At least you weren't all over each other like the last time I saw you."

Molly Weasley rounded on her youngest son. "You knew! Why didn't you tell me?"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "I am bound by both law and friendship not to interfere in their relationship. As Harry asked me to keep it to myself, I did." Harry smiled at his friend's maturity. He was glad to see it appeared to be sticking.

"Harry Potter!" Hermione had inserted herself back in the conversation, hands on her hips and a familiar lecturing look on her face. "Why would you tell Ronald and not me? Don't I deserve to know? We've always been best friends; why would you keep something like this from me?" She stuck her lower lip out in a pout.

Harry's expression went hard. "Best friends, are we Hermione? Are you sure you didn't mean Miss Turpin? How come I wasn't ever privy to your plans you told to her?"

Hermione's jaw dropped and she rounded on Daphne. "I can't believe you told him about that, you little slut! Is that how you got him to be with you, by telling him lies about me? Well, we'll just see about that. He'll be by my side soon enough, you cow! He's mine, you hear! Mi..."

Harry's hand shot up in the shape of a claw. Hermione's own hands beginning tearing at her throat, unable to feel what was choking her. "Say anything to her again or even look in her direction and I will end you." He dropped his hand and Hermione crumpled to the ground. "You have been warned."

Ron was staring down at Hermione in shock and revulsion. Without a word, he turned and stepped to Harry's side. Together, the three of them walked quickly to the train and stepped on, leaving a shocked platform behind. Harry only hoped it was enough to get the point across. They found an empty compartment quickly, ignoring the stares as they passed. With a sigh, Harry collapsed into the seat, and brought his arm up to wrap around Daphne's waist as she sat by his side.

He looked up at Ron. "You're a good man, Ron."

Ron smiled weakly. "I'll always be there by your side, mate."

"I'm sorry about Hermione," Harry said quietly. He knew Ron had fancied her for years, and had a fairly good idea how hard it must have been for Ron to stand against her.

Ron rubbed at his eyes. "I never saw that side of her. It was right scary. And what was that about Turpin?"

Harry shot a look to Daphne, but she merely gave a small nod. It was weird for him to see her retreat back into so much of her Ice Princess persona. She had been quiet since they stepped onto the platform. But she had stood proud at his side, and that was all that mattered to him. "Daphne overheard a lot over the years. Hermione has been plotting to control me and trying to fashion the perfect little husband for years. I didn't see it either, mate. And I never thought of her like that, you know that."

Ron nodded. "I know. I just..."

"I know."

There was silence for a few minutes until Daphne spoke softly. "Well, I hope we sufficiently dealt with two of my concerns."

Harry smiled down at her. "Unfortunately, I doubt either of them will take my warnings to heart."

"I'm sorry about my mum, Harry. She had no right."

"I know. I just hope she doesn't force my hand."

"I'll write Dad. Maybe he can help reason with her."

"Thank you, Ron," Daphne said. "Again, you have surprised me by how good of a man you are."

Ron's ears turned red and he ducked his head. Harry chuckled.

"There is another in your family that I am concerned about." Daphne spoke quietly.

Ron gave a knowing sigh. "I'll try to rein Ginny in, but she's liked Harry for years. And I don't think she knows the legends of the Sirens well. We didn't learn that until fifth year. She might think... well..."

"She might think that I could be with both of them." Harry finished bluntly.

"Yeah."

"We intend to stay far away from her if that is the case."

"I understand." Ron stood as the train started to move. "I've got to go to the meeting. You two will be okay?"

Harry grinned. "Of course. I think we could do with a little alone time." He winked down at Daphne. "But you're welcome to come back. And bring some others, if you feel like it."

Ron nodded. When the door shut behind him, Harry shot a locking spell at it before pushing Daphne down onto the seat. She squealed. With a grin, he unbuttoned her blouse and unclipped her bra, then slid his hand up her skirt and pulled her knickers off, bunching her skirt up around her waist.

He sat back and admired her. "You were quiet today."

She shrugged. "Old habits die hard. I still will wear my mask in public."

He nodded. "I figured as much. As long as I can have my Daphne anytime I want."

She grinned. "Well, I'm lying here ready for you know. Are you going to take me?"

With a smirk he slid of the seat and kneeled on the floor. Mindful of the fact that Ron would be coming back soon, he only brought her to bliss once before pulling back and undoing his trousers. He didn't even push them down, just pulled himself out and sat down, hands behind his head, a smirk on his face. Daphne laughed before clambering on top of him. She rode him and held his head to her chest.

Rather reluctantly, they brought their passion down and righted their clothes, but Daphne remained in his lap. They were still alone, so they kissed hungrily while one of his hands groped at her bum under her skirt and the other was up her shirt. When the knock came at the door, Harry pulled back and called, "Just a minute, Ron." His hand glowed briefly as he unlocked the door.

They were still straightening themselves out when the door was shoved roughly open.

"Ginny! You can't just barge in there! You don't know..." Ron trailed off at the amused and ruffled looks Harry and Daphne were giving him. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his sister, who was standing staring at Harry, literally panting. "You can leave now, Ginny."

"I don't have to do what you tell me to, Ronald," she breathed.

"However, if you insist on using this compartment, Harry and I will be leaving." Daphne said forcefully. "I take exception to my mate being stared at like a particularly large chunk of chocolate."

Ginny blinked at her in confusion. "I don't have to listen to you, either. If Harry wants me here, you can't kick me out."

Harry's face went hard. "I will excuse some of your assumptions, as you are not well-versed in the nature of Sirens. But know this. I will only ever be with Daphne; the very idea of another is repugnant to me. Our bond is founded on my sworn promise to be faithful to her for the rest of my existence. So get out of your head whatever little fantasy you have about me wanting you." Ginny's face fell and she started to whimper. "I am without the law and have the right to use any force to defend myself, my mate, and our bond. I would stay well away, Ginevra Weasley, unless you can understand this."

Ginny stared at him, tears in her large eyes. "I don't understand," she finally whispered quietly.

Harry's expression softened. She really did appear to simply be ignorant, not malevolent. He was relieved. "Daphne and I are permanently and irrevocably bound. And, despite what you may have seen with my Veela cousin, my very nature inclines me to be monogamous. I will never even look at anyone else besides her."

"Oh." The redhead looked down, pulling at her skirt anxiously. "I didn't... I'm sorry... I..." With a wail, she turned tail and ran.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, Ron. It really isn't anything to do with you. I just figure it's better to be harsh now and hopefully head her off. I hope she'll move on now."

"I know, Harry. Bill explained quite a lot to me."

Harry nodded gratefully as Ron stepped into the compartment. Neville was behind him, along with two girls that Harry knew from the DA. "Neville, Hannah, Susan, it is good to see you."

Neville grinned at him, and held his hand out to Daphne. She shook it with a delicate raised eyebrow. "I'm Neville Longbottom, Harry's friend."

"Daphne Greengrass Potter."

One of his eyebrows rose at the name. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Daphne. Any girl that Harry chose must be something."

She smiled demurely. "Thank you. Harry has spoken highly of you as well."

Harry grinned. "Come in and have a seat, mate." He turned to the two girls, relieved to see that while they were looking at him carefully, it seemed to be more curiosity than anything else. "Hannah, Susan, you are welcome as well."

Hannah beamed at him and came in, sitting rather closely to Neville. Harry watched this carefully. Susan was more timid, but she sat by her friend after flashing Harry a smile.

Harry enjoyed the trip. They spent most of the ride talking about their summers, though Harry avoided everything but the most basic mention of his change. They also talked about the coming school year, and Harry was surprised by how much he participated in the discussion when Hermione wasn't there nagging him constantly. They had several visitors, and gawkers who stood outside the door and stared in. Harry ignored them, his arm wrapped comfortably around Daphne's waist. Tracey came in after an hour or two and sat by Daphne's side, and Blaise joined them soon after. He and Harry got on quite well after Blaise was assured of Daphne's happiness.

Harry was surprised by the fact that Malfoy didn't stop by for his customary visit. When he mentioned this to Daphne, she laughed softly.

"Draco learned long ago not to cross me. He knows now that he can't antagonise you without me retaliating, and he very much doesn't want that to happen."

Harry stared down at her. "I have trouble imagining anything that would get Malfoy to leave me alone just from the mere threat of it."

Tracey giggled and Blaise flinched, causing Harry's curiosity to grow. With a small smile, Daphne said, "After a few years of him trying something and me cursing him, I decided something more drastic was in order. I gave him a permanent shrinking charm."

"A shrinking... you mean down there?" He asked with wide eyes.

She giggled. "Yes. And let's just say that, according to Pansy, it only made things worse. She's only still with him because of his money and power. I may hate the girl, but she's not a complete idiot."

Harry leaned down and planted his lips firmly on hers. When he pulled back several minutes later, he framed her face and said ardently, "I love you."

She giggled. "And I love you, you great lug. Now, get off of me before anyone sees."

There was a cough from her other side. "I think it's a little late for that, Daph." Blaise said. "I've never seen you like this." He turned to Harry. "Whatever you're doing to her, keep it up. I like this Daphne."

He smirked. "Thank you for your permission."

Daphne swatted him across the chest. "Like you need it. You're insatiable. Now, let's try not to ruin my entire reputation today."

"Yes, dear."

They looked up, grinning, to see the rest of the inhabitants of their compartment staring at them in shock.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I've never seen either of you like this," Neville answered. "I'm just a little shocked, is all."

"Yeah, mate." Ron agreed. "It's nice to see you so carefree. Though I don't think I want to hear any more about you being insatiable."

Hannah giggled. "Oh, I would." She turned to Daphne. "We simply must have a girls' night so we can hear all about it."

Susan nodded her head furiously in agreement. "Count me in."

Harry growled. "No."

"Ah, come on mate," Ron grinned. "You have to let the girls have their fun."

"I don't have a problem with that, but they can't have a night. She's mine at night."

"Oh, yeah." Ron's ears turned red as he ducked his head. "Forgot about that."

The compartment was filled with laughter as Daphne blushed slightly. She wasn't used to being in the centre of a group like this. But she found that, with Harry by her side, she didn't mind so much. She could even grow to like these friends of his.

With such hilarity, the train ride to Hogwarts passed quickly. When the typical half an hour warning sounded throughout the train, Harry stood and held his hand out for Daphne. With a grin, he turned to their friends. "If you'll excuse us, Daphne and I need to attend to something in private before we get to the school."

"Yeah, like you're really going to talk," Ron laughed.

"I never said we were."

They found an unoccupied bathroom a few compartments down and locked themselves in. Without a word, Daphne was on her knees and sucking him off. Then he picked her up off the floor and wrapped her legs around him as he took her against the door. They didn't stop until the train began to slow. Then Harry, still inside of her, looked her in the eye. "Don't forget that I am yours, Daphne. No matter what Dumbledore tries tonight, we will be right back here in a few hours, I promise you."

"He can't hurt us, love."

Harry nodded his agreement before kissing her fiercely. With great reluctance he pulled out and buttoned up his trousers before helping her fix her skirt and hair. They walked out hand-in-hand, ignoring the looks of those students who saw them exit the loo together. Wanting to put off the inevitable as long as possible, Harry led her to the very last carriage in line and helped her up. They took advantage of the wait by snogging each other heavily.

But there was no putting it off forever, and eventually their carriage came to a stop. With a sigh, Harry stepped out and turned to help her down. They walked through the doors and into the entrance hall, where Dumbledore was waiting by the door. Harry greeted him with a nod.

"Headmaster."

"Harry, Daphne. I must say that I am excessively surprised to see you together."

Harry shrugged but didn't answer. "Could you spare a minute of your time, Harry? I'm sure Miss Greengrass is capable of finding her seat on her own."

"No thank you, Headmaster."

"That was not a request, Harry."

"And as any school or discipline related business related to me will be conducted solely through Professor McGonagall, there is nothing you can have to say to me that I am required to hear."

Without waiting for a response, they walked past him and into the Hall. Again, silence fell immediately. Harry had specifically written Professor McGonagall a few days ago asking about seating in the Great Hall. She had informed him that they could sit wherever they wanted except for school feasts, when they were required to sit at their own tables. So Harry led Daphne to the end of the Slytherin table where Tracey and Blaise where sitting. He kissed the back of her hand and helped her into her seat before turning and making his way to the seat next to Ron. By the time he sat down, McGonagall was leading in the new first years. Most of the Hall continued to stare at Harry throughout the sorting, but he ignored them. Afterwards, Dumbledore stood and he tapped his glass for his customary speech. Harry was grateful that it pulled most of the attention away from him.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. A reminder that no magic is to be used in the corridors and the Forbidden Forest is just that. Mr. Filch has asked me to inform you that a list of all banned objects is currently posted on his office door. It includes, incidentally, the entire inventory of the store Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." Dumbledore's gaze swept the room. "With the acknowledged return of Lord Voldemort, we are living in perilous times. Please exercise caution in all that you do. We are also pleased to welcome Professor Cressida Magnus as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher." There was polite applause as everyone turned to look at the rather plain looking woman by his side. "That is all for now. Tuck in."

Those who were watching saw Professor McGonagall glare at the Headmaster before standing herself. "There is one more thing before our feast begins. As you are no doubt aware, Mr. Harry Potter has recently undergone the transformation into a Siren. To satisfy your curiosity, the first Care of Magical Creatures class of each year will be reviewing what this means." Harry's eyes shot to Hagrid, who was beaming at him. "He has also Siren Bound with Ms. Daphne Greengrass. This has various ramifications. Neither of them will be staying in their dormitories, and they are exempt from many of the laws and rules that the rest of you must still abide by. If you are wondering about why this is, please see your Head of House or Professor Hagrid. In addition, Mister Potter is legally allowed to defend, in any manner he sees fit, both himself and Ms. Greengrass. There will be no leniency offered to those who try his patience. That is all."

Harry was glad to have Ron and Neville there with him. They were able to deflect much of the attention away from him. When Ron's glare wasn't enough to keep someone out of Harry's personal space, he would release a mild banishment charm, pushing them several feet away. After the fifth girl tried to slide into the open seat by his side, Seamus rolled his eyes and moved into it. Dean, grinning, sat opposite next to Neville.

Harry grinned at the Irish lad. "Thanks, Seamus."

"No problem, Harry. The birds just don't understand that you're taken."

"I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually."

"Yeah. You just need to snog Daphne in the hall a few times."

Harry laughed. "Nah, she won't let me. Says she has a reputation to maintain."

Dean chuckled. "Or you could just disappear into a room together like you did on the train today. None of us are in any doubt about what the two of you were up to in there."

Harry grinned. "What can I say? Have you seen her? She's irresistible."

"Clearly."

Harry studiously avoided looking up at the Head Table as he ate. He didn't want to see Dumbledore's glare, and he couldn't even guess what the expression would be on Snape's face. Daphne had been one of his favourite students, and Harry wondered how the man was dealing with the knowledge that she was now with his most hated. Harry was only glad that he should have no interactions with the man. He would not be taking Potions, and the disgruntled spy couldn't even give him unfair detentions. No, he had no grounds to even approach Harry.

When Dumbledore finally released them, Harry grinned at the boys around him and bid them good night before beginning to make his way towards the Slytherin table. The Hall got progressively quieter as he got closer. When he reached her, he bowed low and offered his hand.

"My lady."

She gave a small smile and placed her hand in his. "Good sir."

He helped her up and placed her hand in the crook of his arm, then turned towards the Head Table. They walked quickly to Professor McGonagall. "Professor, it is lovely to see you again."

"Harry, Daphne. Would you like me to show you to your rooms?"

"Yes, ma'am."

A throat cleared to the side. "I believe I shall come with you, if you don't mind."

Harry looked over and merely nodded at Dumbledore, before turning and following McGonagall. He could feel every eye in the Hall on him as they left, and idly wondered if these people had lives of their own to live and why they were always so obsessed with his. Impervious to the curious people around them, and the many that were not so subtly following behind, McGonagall led them through the hallways to a portion of the castle he had never visited before. She came to a stop in front of a statue of an angel with his wings open to each side. Daphne smiled at the sight.

"Yes," McGonagall said. "I thought it was a remarkably appropriate guardian for your quarters."

"Thank you, Professor." Daphne answered. "It is perfect."

"Now, typically we set verbal passwords for such quarters, and the Headmaster and I have access to all of them." Harry frowned. "However, I do not think that is wise in this case."

"Really, Professor, we cannot allow no one to have access to their rooms," Dumbledore cut in.

Harry turned to him with a blank expression. "No one will enter our quarters unless invited, and no one will be allowed to intrude on our privacy."

"Now, Harry," Dumbledore began with his typical grandfatherly smile. "That really isn't very safe. We need to be able to get to you at all times, for your own safety."

"I disagree, Headmaster, but for your piece of mind, I will allow Dobby, and only Dobby, to be keyed into the wards that I will place myself."

Without waiting for a response, Harry leaned down and pulled his knife out of his boot and made a small incision on his thumb. He ran into down the centre of the statue's chest, and whispered "Μόνο εγώ και η σύντοφός μου μπορούμε να μπούμε ή να δώσουμε άδεια σε κάποιον άλλον να μπεί." (Me and my mate alone may enter or grant permission to someone else to enter. Translations provided by MisyMoo.) When he pulled his hand back, Daphne picked it up softly and kissed his thumb. He smiled in thanks as the wound healed. "Thank you, Professors. Have a good evening."

Harry placed his palm flat on the angel's chest and it slid aside, granting them access. The apartment was small but comfortable. Harry gave it merely a cursory glance. He planned to personalize and ward it tomorrow morning before Daphne got up. He knew Dobby would be delighted to help.

Stepping away from him, Daphne smiled coyly and slowly shed her clothes. When she was standing gloriously naked in front of him, she asked, "How would you like me tonight, Siren of mine?"

He grinned and started on his own clothes. "It is going to take us several days to christen the entire apartment. I think we'll have to do one room at a time."

"And tonight?"

He pointed his hand at the fireplace, creating a cheery blaze, and then pointed to the floor causing a large rug to appear. "Right there."

She crooked her finger at him until he came to her, and led him to the rug. Gently, she pushed him down to the ground then climbed on top of him. With one swift movement, he was sheathed inside her. He groaned at the sight as she rode him, enjoying the way the firelight played off her delicious skin. When she was spent, he pulled her down onto him and wrapped his arms and legs around her, cocooning her within himself. They fell asleep that way, as close as they could possible get to each other.

* * *

_Harry Potter, Siren!_

_By Laurelie Mangaman_

_We at the Prophet can finally confirm the recent rumours surrounding the possibility of a male Siren. Yesterday the Platform was crowded as parents gathered to say farewell to their children, but most everyone was keeping an eye out for the enigmatic Greengrass Family. The reason being that the rumours abounded that not only was there a male Siren, but that he was bound to the eldest Greengrass daughter, Daphne. And, indeed, every head in the area turned when the three Greengrass women entered accompanied not by Steffan Greengrass, but by a tall young man that no one seemed to recognise at first. _

_This reporter was there to see for herself, and I must admit that even I was affected by his looks. He was tall, and extremely well-built, with a mop of messy black hair that seemed to carry a blue tinge when he moved. But it was the eyes that completely drew me in; they were startling emerald green and I am quite positive they glowed. Upon first seeing him, with his arm wrapped securely around Daphne's waist, I did not recognise him at all. It wasn't until a scream echoed across the platform and an irate young lady, one Hermione Granger, identified him that I began to realise who he was. And then I was able to pull my gaze from his startling eyes long enough to see the lightning bolt scar on his head. _

_We at the Prophet are unable to determine how, exactly, our hero became a Siren, but it was nonetheless obvious that he was, and a year early, too. Typically Siren maturation takes place on the seventeenth birthday, but Harry Potter only recently turned sixteen. But I was able to witness the confrontation that took place between Mr. Potter and young Miss Granger, as well as between him and Molly Weasley, wife of Ministry employee Arthur Weasley. Both women seemed to take exception to Harry's choice of mate, but he came back immediately, claiming to be Siren Bound. _

_For those who are unaware, to be Siren Bound is no small thing. It is stronger than any marriage bond, and is rumoured to include a promise of lifelong fidelity as well as a binding of magic, soul, and body. It also places the young couple completely out of the control of the Ministry. Mr. Potter now has the right to defend himself and his mate against any provocation, without fear of punishment. I witnessed a small form of this as he attacked one of his oldest friends after Miss Granger made derogatory comments about Miss Greengrass, and then he threatened the Weasley matriarch. Standing strong at his side during both confrontations was Ronald Weasley, who has been Harry Potter's best friend for five years. _

_It is clear that Harry Potter will allow no one to question his actions or attempt to stand between him and the lovely Miss Greengrass. But it is rather curious that no students I spoke with were aware the two even knew each other. Indeed, Miss Greengrass has always been known as the Ice Princess of Hogwarts. Even more startling, given Mr. Potter's obvious distaste for the house, is the fact that Daphne Greengrass is in Slytherin. This causes us to wonder exactly how they met, and what caused the ever neutral Greengrasses to finally pick a side in the war. _

* * *

Lord Voldemort stared down at the paper in his hands declaring Harry Potter to be the mysterious new Siren.

He had known for nine months that he was connected with Potter in some way. He had used this to his advantage in June, resulting in Black's death. Severus had also reported that Harry had unusual bouts of anger all last year, and many corresponded perfectly with periods of his own great anger. It had planted the seed in his mind that, somehow, he and Potter had the ability to influence each other. He had thought, before, that Potter's mind was so weak that the connection could only ever truly work one way, and ever since he discovered it he had pushed as much anger as he could through the link.

But then, starting a few days after the boy's birthday, had come this infernal... arousal. He, the most powerful Dark Lord in history, was having trouble focusing on anything except for his sexual needs. At first, he hadn't thought that this could have anything to do with Potter. He knew that the boy was unusually repressed and there was no way that the boy would be participating in any acts strong enough to influence him. But now it came out that he had turned Siren about the same time, and already found his mate. Discounting the disgust that a pureblood witch had lowered herself to mate with him, the timing was just too much of a coincidence.

Was his increased sexual appetite a direct result of Potter's?

If it was, he was going to have to do something soon. He hadn't been able to participate in an attack for over a month, because of the debilitating arousal. He hadn't even seen most of the new recruits in action, as all his attention was focused on the few female recruits, and the female prisoners that were brought in. Worse, he was wearing them out. Two were currently passed out unconscious in his dungeons and three of them had refused to answer his call in days. He'd lost count of how many hadn't lived through his ministrations.

Was he going to have to resort to taking care of things himself?

No, there were better ways.

"Wormtail! Get in here!"

The snivelling man scurried in. "Yes, Master?"

"Inform everyone that the planned attack on the Bones residence is called off. Instead, instruct the group to travel to France. I want them to capture me as many Veela as possible."

"Very well, My Lord."

"And send in the new boy."

"Yes, My Lord."

The boy was a weakling that he had been planning on killing later anyway. He would serve to service his needs instead. And then, with any luck, he would have several Veela to slate his lust. They would last longer than a human.

* * *

A/N: I must apologise. Firstly, I know it has been awhile. I just haven't been able to write much recently as my head hasn't been in the right place. I'm fairly stuck on Elemental at the moment, my new (and unpublished as of yet) stories are stalling and the few scenes I need to finish in this one just haven't come. I'm hoping that this is finally at an end and I can get back to writing more consistently.

Also, last chapter I mentioned that I could give you a more explicit version if asked. I did actually have this, as the original was along this vein and I have been consistently cutting it back. Of course, that was before I realised that my computer lost the entire thing. I was just lucky that the rest of the story wasn't lost as well. So it turns out that I don't have them. Sorry about that.

By request, I am not going to bash Ginny in this story. I see it as her mother having pushed her and her own ignorance of what it means to be a Siren. She really won't play a role in the story.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.


	6. Chapter 6

When Daphne woke the next morning, she was in the middle of a large and luxurious bed, and alone. This was not all that unusual, as Harry always woke hours before her. With a grin, she set off to find him. The apartment that she had seen briefly last night wasn't recognisable. She smiled at his thoughtfulness; he had made it look much like her room at home. She found him standing in the middle of the sitting room, his hand up as he weaved complex wards around the apartment. She knew that he might be at it for awhile more, and pouted at the thought. They didn't have much time before they needed to be at breakfast so they could get their schedules, and she wasn't happy about the disruption to their normal schedule.

With a wicked grin, she sauntered up to her naked husband and began caressing his chest and arms. He shuddered under her hands, but didn't break his spell. She took that to mean she had his permission, and brought her mouth to his chest. She kissed down, lingering for quite some time on her initial inked there, before sinking to her knees and taking him into her mouth. His free hand came up and tangled in her hair, his acknowledgement of what she was doing, as he could not break the spell.

It was many years before Harry learned that the ward he set that day was so powerful, only a blood Potter was capable of inhabiting those rooms. He just grinned and said it was all Daphne's fault.

Fully dressed and restrained in their behaviour, they entered the Great Hall arm-in-arm. Harry paused at the door, and looked down at Daphne. "Where would you like to sit today?" He asked quietly.

She considered this. "Let's sit at Gryffindor this morning. McGonagall probably has our schedules anyway."

He nodded and led her over. Ron's eyes went wide as they made for him, but he just grinned and scooted over some more. Harry helped Daphne into her seat then took his own. "Morning, everyone," he greeted.

"Hey, Harry, Daphne." Neville smiled from across the table. "How are your new rooms?"

Daphne smiled softly. "Fabulous. Harry spent hours this morning redoing them."

"You've been up for hours?" Ron asked in shock.

Harry grinned. "I have a lot of excess energy recently. I don't sleep all that long."

"Oh. Can we see your rooms?"

"Sure. We set it up so only Daphne and I can open the door, but either of us can let you in. How about after dinner tonight?" He turned to look at Daphne. "Would that be okay?"

"Of course, Harry. I'll see if Tracey and Blaise are free. And try to hunt down Astoria, though I doubt she'll want to join us."

Their conversation was interrupted as Professor McGonagall came around handing out schedules. She passed Harry a longer sheet. "That contains both of your schedules."

"Thank you, Professor."

Harry laid it down so they both could see it.

_Monday: Care of Magical Creatures (Harry) and Potions (Daphne) 9-11_

_Tuesday: Defence Against the Dark Arts 9-11_

_Wednesday: Ancient Runes (Daphne) 9-11, Arithmancy (Daphne) 2-4_

_Thursday: Charms 9-11_

_Friday: Transfiguration 9-11_

_There was an additional note at the bottom of the page: _

_I spoke with your father briefly yesterday, and, if it is agreeable to you, your tutor from the summer has agreed to spend Wednesday mornings with Harry. Please let me know if you would like to take advantage of this. Also, Professor Dumbledore had requested that you have scheduled Occlumency lessons. However, Steffan informed me that this was no longer necessary. _

"That's not too bad." Harry murmured. "It was nice of her to give us all those classes together."

"You're a likable guy, my love. She wanted to do something nice for her favourite student."

"I'm not her favourite!"

Daphne smiled. "Sure you are. Or you will be, as soon as she sees how much more you are applying yourself now. I really have no idea why you held yourself back so much before."

He blushed slightly. "I just wanted to be like everyone else."

"And you never will be, so it is time to get over it and just be yourself."

He rolled his eyes and pecked her cheek. "Yes, dear."

"Now, are you going to be okay until after lunch, or should we have it in private in our room?"

He considered this. "I think I'll be fine. Though I reserve the right to kiss you when I see you."

"As long as you are... restrained."

He grinned. "Yes, dear."

They were pulled out of their discussion by a chuckle from across the table. They looked up to see Dean laughing at them. "You have no idea how strange it is to see Harry behaving like this, Daphne."

She smiled. "I'm glad we were able to amuse you."

"I just never thought I'd see the day where Harry bloody Potter was so whipped."

A strange look fell across Harry's face. Daphne rolled her eyes. "Not on your life, Potter."

He pouted. "Spoilsport."

"I'm not changing my mind."

His pout fell away into a grin. "I know. I don't really want to anyway."

"Oh, I know. That's the only reason I didn't curse you for even thinking it."

He grinned and puckered his lips, one eyebrow raised in invitation. Rolling her eyes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips, and then turned back to her breakfast.

As Harry was finishing up his meal, a large hand came down on his shoulder and he turned with a smile. "Hagrid! How are you?"

"Just 'onderful, Harry."

"This is my mate, Daphne Greengrass."

Hagrid grinned down at her. "Just like you ta choose the prettiest girl at 'Ogwarts, Harry."

"Well, I think so."

"Listen, Harry, I was 'ondering if you 'ouldn't mind demonstrating in class today."

"Sure, Hagrid. But I can only make the one class. Then everyone else would miss out." He got a sly grin. "I could fly out now and meet you there?"

Hagrid's eyes twinkled. "That 'ould be fantastic, Harry!"

Harry grinned and stood up. With a wink at Daphne, he pulled his shirt over his head and handed it to her. With a quick look to make sure there was no one to either side of him, he released his wings.

"Blimey, Harry! Look a' them!"

Daphne shook her head. "You are such a show off sometimes."

He pouted at her. "But I'm your show off."

She grinned. "Off with you. I need to get to class."

Harry laughed and pushed off the ground. He headed straight for one of the large openings in the rafters that let the owls in and shouted with joy as he exploded out from the castle. He would never get enough of flying. He flew for several minutes until he saw students start making their way down to Hagrid's cabin, and then he headed that direction himself. With a final beat of his wings, he landed gracefully in front of Hagrid, who was beaming at him. He curled his wings back, but stopped before completely withdrawing them when Hagrid spoke.

"Leave 'em out, Harry. We'll talk abou' 'em in a bit."

"Sure thing, Hagrid."

Harry was slightly uncomfortable standing there shirtless, as most of the girls were eyeing him, but there was nothing for it. He couldn't have his wings out with a shirt on. When the whole class was gathered in front of them, Hagrid began.

"'Ello, class, as you can see, Harry 'ere has volunteered to help me teach y'all 'bout Sirens. Now, 'ho can tell me wha' a Siren is?" Several hands rose. "Parvati?"

"Sirens are a cross between Veela and Mermen."

"Very good. Now, Harry here is the first male Siren tha' we know abou'. Sirens are born, tho' they don' show the characteristics un'il they reach magical maturity."

Hermione's hand came up, drawing Harry's attention to her for the first time today. He was appalled to realise that she seemed to be following Ginny's example from the previous day. Her chest, which was somewhat larger than the redheads, was literally falling out of her open shirt. "Then how did Harry become a Siren? He just turned sixteen, and his family doesn't have Siren blood."

"Actually," Harry interrupted. "My mother was a Siren, and came from a long line of them. As they were Muggles before her for quite some time, no one in the magical world was made aware of this. My mother hid her nature so as not to be exposed to Voldemort. And I transformed early because I was emancipated this summer."

"Tha's right. Now, who can 'ell me about Sirens? Tracey?"

Tracey smiled at Harry and he winked back. Hermione looked shocked. "Sirens are sexual beings by nature. They require regular intimacy or they lose complete control of their allure and powers, becoming very dangerous to those around them. However, unlike their Veela cousins, Sirens have always been monogamous once they find their mate."

"E'actly. Now, Harry, you foun' Daphne righ' quickly, bu' wha' was it like before tha'?"

Harry blushed slightly. "A nightmare. I had no idea how to keep the girls off of me. I was even attacked by a shop girl."

"You seem ta be doin' better with tha'. Wha' changed?"

"Well, Daphne helps a great deal. As long as I am able to spend regular time with her, I have much better control of my attractive power. But I also got some tips before that, from Fleur."

"Ah, she's Veela, she is." Harry nodded. "Now, you can see his wings, right? Harry, why don' you show them wha' they look like put away?"

Harry nodded and retracted his wings. He turned around and allowed the class to see his back. "I woke up after my transformation with these tattoos."

"All four of them?" Came a voice.

"Um, no. Just the wings. I got the one on my arm before my transformation, and the other a couple of weeks ago." He turned back around to face the class.

"Now wha' else have you noticed has changed?"

"Well, I have a bit of control over water and air, and my magic has definitely come easier. I also have been able to work a rather unusual class of magic." He shrugged self-consciously. "Things powered by love are incredibly easy to me. And I can even heal myself and others to a small degree."

"Oh! I didn' know 'bout tha'. Can you show us?"

"Sorry. I'd have to have Daphne here. She is the trigger for most of it, and I haven't learned how to do it without her."

"Ah. Well then, who else has ques'ions for Harry?"

"When you say monogamous, do you just mean you don't have to take another partner, or that you can't?"

Harry eyed Lavender carefully before answering. "When Sirens mate, they bind their partner to them using an ancient ritual the Greeks created. This ritual is what makes Daphne and I exempt from the laws of England, as no law that could harm our bond has control over us. The bond is founded on the love of the Siren for their mate, and the promise to always be faithful. So by magical imperative I will only ever be with Daphne." He looked around at the crowd of students, many of whom were looking disappointed. "But even if I didn't have that constraining me, I have no desire to be with anyone else."

"So why Daphne, Mate?" Seamus asked. "I mean, I like her and all, but it seems like you didn't even know her before."

Harry grinned. "I knew her. We spent a lot of time together this summer, both before and after my transformation. I was already interested in her before, but the minute I saw her afterwards, I knew there was no one else for me. Luckily, for me, she didn't seem to mind."

Tracey giggled. "That's an understatement."

Harry mock glared at her. "Hush you, or I'll forget that you helped me find her."

She winked.

"So, Potter," Malfoy drawled. "What's to stop me from, say, kidnapping your girl and keeping you from her, if you can't go more than a few hours without her?"

Harry turned to him calmly. "Magic. It is impossible for Daphne to be taken anywhere where I cannot follow. Gave her dad a right headache when he had to let me into the wards before he even knew who I was. And I can find her at any time."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Part of the bonding ritual. She wears a token around her neck which is part of me and can never be removed."

Hagrid nodded. "The Siren Bon' bears a lot of similarity ta bonds of servi'ude. If you'll notice, Daphne has a ribbon roun' her neck. Harry seale' tha' on ta her using his blood. Now, wha' else can you show us, Harry?"

He thought for a moment before pulling out his wings and leaping into the air. With a shout, he dove straight into the lake.

When he didn't immediately surface, some of the girls started to grow concerned. When five minutes had passed, Hermione started ringing her hands and Ron began looking around for him. It was a solid ten minutes before Harry emerged from the water, dripping wet, with his wings still out. He grinned at the assembled students while waving his hand over himself to dry off and folding his wings away.

"I can absorb oxygen through my skin. Means I can breathe underwater."

"And you can snog as long as you want!" Seamus called.

Harry laughed. "That, too."

"Doesn't the water affect your wings?" Blaise asked.

"No." Harry shrugged. "They seem to be impervious to water, rather like a duck, I think."

"Has any of this affected your flying, on a broom, I mean." Ron asked.

"You know, I haven't even tried. It is just so much better to fly without one. I would imagine I've improved. Though I'm not sure if my being a Siren will preclude me from playing Quidditch or not. I'll have to ask Professor McGonagall. It might not be fair for me to play."

Ron looked outraged and about to start yelling, so Hagrid stepped in. He told the class some of the history of Sirens, and various tales that had been recorded about them, until class ended. Then he thanked Harry and invited him and Daphne down for tea sometime.

Harry caught up with Tracey and Blaise on the way back to the castle. "Hey, guys. Daphne wanted to invite you to our rooms tonight, so you could see them. If you have time."

Tracey smiled at him. "Thank you, Harry. That would be marvellous." Her eyes cut down to the tattoo on his hip. "I don't remember that one. Is it new?"

Harry blushed. "Yeah. Daphne and I compromised and this is the result."

"I take it that means she has one as well?" Neville asked from his other side.

"Um, not exactly. Well, I mean, she already had one. But she did get something different for me."

Ron chuckled. "Well, out with it."

"She got her navel pierced."

Blaise gave a low whistle. "Wicked. I'm surprised you were able to talk her into that."

Harry shrugged. "She didn't seem to mind too much."

Tracey rolled her eyes at the three boys that were salivating over the thought, winked at Harry who was grinning like a fool, and kept her peace as they walked up to the castle. Her friend had changed quite a bit, and she couldn't wait until they had a chance to talk together, just the two of them.

Daphne was waiting, standing primly just to the side of the doors. Harry strode quickly to her and pulled her immediately into his arms. Mindful of the fact that they were in the middle of the Entrance Hall, he merely lowered his head to her neck and placed a kiss there before burying his head in her hair. After a few moments, he stepped back, after placing a quick kiss on her lips.

With a smile, she pulled his shirt out of her bag and helped him slip it on. "How was it being a guinea pig?"

He grinned. "Not bad. Could have done without some of the staring."

She patted his cheek. "I think you'll have to get used to that, dear."

"I know. How was Potions?"

She tilted her head slightly. "It was okay. I missed having you there. I lost my eye candy."

"Sorry, love."

"Yeah, you look really sorry."

He shrugged. "Was Snape a git?"

"Not really. It was like he couldn't bring himself to even look at me. I don't really know what to make of it. He did corner me after class and demand to know if you didn't treat me right."

"Well, as long as he leaves you alone I'm not going to complain."

With his arm tight around her waist, they quietly headed in for lunch.

* * *

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was not often completely shocked anymore; after all, he had lived for more than 150 years and seen quite a lot of the world. But the revelation that Harry Potter was a Siren had done the trick. The possibility that it was Harry who was the Siren have never crossed his mind, for he still had no idea how the lad had even met Daphne Greengrass, let alone apparently fallen in love with her. He had always thought that Harry held a strong aversion to anyone in Slytherin, and he was certain that Daphne Greengrass have never shown interest in Harry before. And even if she had, her father would never have allowed the association.

Albus had known that Harry was angry with him at the end of last term, and that was understandable. The boy had just lost his godfather and found out that the fate of the world rested on his young shoulders; it was perfectly normal that he would lash out at the man he felt was responsible for the former and who informed him of the latter. Albus had expected Harry to come back, properly scared and needing help; then he would begin training him, slowly, to fulfil his destiny. Instead, halfway through the summer the lad had run away, and no one had been able to find him. Then he went and tied himself to a Slytherin family of questionable intent and was now lashing out at several long time friends. Albus had been shocked to learn from Miss Granger that Harry had completely turned on her without provocation.

Albus clearly had to redo his plans for the boy. It was impossible for him to separate the pair, and so he would have to find a way to work around Daphne's unknown influence. He wished he had paid more attention to the girl, so he knew what to expect from her. But he had considered her unimportant. Albus quietly began to wonder if there was a way to use her to get Harry back in line. Surely she would be concerned about Harry's safety and welfare. Especially if Harry hadn't disclosed the prophecy to her. And if this could not sway her, he might have to resort to other measures. Harry's strength was now completely tied to her, and if Albus could shake her faith in him, the boy would once more be malleable. He just hoped it wouldn't become necessary to actually hurt the girl. He had always found such manipulations distasteful.

Albus sat in the Great Hall, his anger barely controlled as he watched Harry and Daphne leave without even glancing at him, and plotted for the greater good.

* * *

"Wow, mate! These rooms are amazing!"

Harry grinned at Ron's awestruck look. "Yeah. They look pretty good. It was nice of McGonagall to set up something so nice for us."

Daphne shook her head. She knew very well the rooms were nowhere near as nice before Harry altered them this morning. But he would never say that. It amazed her how modest her amazing Siren could be. Behind Ron, Neville came in, shyly holding Hannah's hand. This amused Daphne. She didn't think the quiet boy had it in him. Susan was behind her friend, staring around in shock. Daphne noticed that the redhead's eyes lingered on Ron for a moment as they swept the room. She filed that information away for later. Susan was definitely a much better match for Ron than Hermione Granger would have been. Blaise and Tracey were the last to enter. Tracey blinked in shock at the rooms and turned to look at Daphne.

"Yes, Harry did this for me."

"It's fantastic, Daph."

Daphne smiled. "He's very good to me."

Tracey narrowed her eyes at her friend, and pulled herself free of Blaise's arm. She took a firm hold on Daphne's hand and pulled her towards the bedroom. "You and I are long overdue for a talk."

Daphne laughed. "How about we invite Hannah and Susan with us?"

Tracey nodded her acceptance, and all four girls disappeared into the bedroom.

"Should we be concerned?" Blaise asked.

"Nah, just Harry." Ron answered.

Harry smirked. "I don't think I have anything to be concerned about. I keep her fully satisfied and haven't heard a complaint yet."

The other three boys stared at him in shock.

"Well," Blaise demanded. "Are you going to share your expertise with the rest of us? Because I guarantee that Daphne is going to have the other three all geared up and... needy."

Harry sat back, his hands behind his head. "Hmmm, depends. Seems there are three lovely ladies in there, but only two of them are spoken for. I hardly think it's fair if I only help them and leave Susan to fend for herself." He turned to grin at Ron. "What do you think of redheads, Ron?"

Ron spluttered. "What? No! She couldn't be... what are you... are you sure?"

Neville chuckled. "Hannah says she's been talking about how grown up you look all day. I think she just might."

"Oh. Wow. I mean... um, I'll think about it."

"Then, boys, let me tell you the joys of having a woman..."

* * *

"You're lying!" Hannah exclaimed. "It isn't possible!"

Daphne giggled. "I assure you, I'm telling the complete truth. I think being a Siren must give him incredible stamina or something. That first night alone, I lost count after eleven. And the day before coming here I think he cleared thirty. Of course, we did spend the whole day at it." She didn't mention that special circumstances surrounding that day that had allowed for such a high count. Some things were best kept to herself.

Tracey stared at her friend in shock. "I'd be worried about what happened to you, if I wasn't so bloody jealous."

Daphne grinned. "And let me tell you, I've never heard of a man being so selfless. It's very rare that he lets me pleasure him without reciprocating threefold. Usually, that only happens when he is starting to lose it and we don't have a lot of time."

Susan looked confused. "So what do you do for him?"

"Well, ladies, let me explain..."

* * *

Harry watched in shock as Hannah tackled Neville back against the wall the second she walked out of the bedroom. She looked nearly wild. Wide-eyed, he turned to look for Daphne, only to come up short when he saw Tracey whispering furiously in Blaise's ear. The boy had a completely flabbergasted look on his face. Confused, Harry turned to look at Ron. Susan was standing in front of him, blushing prettily, while Ron stammered something at her. A giggle erupted from Harry's side and he turned to see Daphne there.

"What did you do?"

"Just shared a little bit about how to please their men. I think I inspired them."

She blinked up at him innocently, and Harry nearly lost it. He cleared his throat, loudly. "All right, it's time for you all to get out. Now."

Their six friends left, the boys throwing curious looks his way while the girls just smiled knowingly. The minute the statue slid shut behind them, Harry turned to Daphne and pulled her into his arms. She giggled as he walked.

"I wouldn't be giggling if I were you," he growled.

She blinked again. This time in confusion.

He kicked their bedroom door open and threw her on the bed. Then his right hand came up. She squeaked as her arms were pulled taunt above her, and looked down to see silk ties wrap around her ankles and tie them to the bedposts. An instant later, a very naked Harry was on her and tearing her clothes off of her body. She whimpered.

He stared down at her with dark eyes. "Seems you need to be reminded that your mine. You've been sharing with the girls, and they seem to think they can have it is as good as you do." He growled as he groped roughly at her. "No one will ever have it like you do, because you're mine." She arched into his hands and moaned. "Do you understand?"

She shuddered with pleasure. "I'm not sure. I think I need to be reminded good and hard." Her eyes opened and she looked into his. "Make me remember, Harry."

He drove into her so hard she screamed as her body came up off the bed.

* * *

Molly Weasley didn't know what to think anymore. Harry Potter, that sweet boy she loved as one of her own, had turned into a _Siren_ of all things, and taken up with that Greengrass slattern. Molly had looked it up as soon as she got home from the Platform, and was dismayed to discover that there was no way of getting him away from the girl. Of course, she was slightly unsure if she would even want to. The book she read said that a Siren had almost as voracious a sexual appetite as a Veela, and she didn't want her poor Ginny turned into a pleasure thing for such a creature.

It was disgusting what those creatures required of their mates.

Maybe there was a way to work around that. Molly knew that Fleur slept around on her Bill, despite how much they claimed to love each other. It was highly possible that Harry would do the same to Daphne. And if that was the case, there was no reason she couldn't work it to her advantage. Harry could marry Ginny and have a respectable relationship, since he would still have Daphne to fulfil his base urges.

Yes, there was no reason that wouldn't work.

Molly cringed at the realisation that her plan would require her to occasionally be in company with the Slytherin whore. Was it really worth it? She would have to think about it.

* * *

Daphne blinked awake, a lazy smile on her face. A jolt of pleasure shot through her and she looked down in surprise. "Oh!"

Harry pulled his mouth away from her and grinned. "Good morning, my love." His hands slid under her, cupping her bum and pulling her up to his mouth. He resumed feasting on her.

Daphne had a hard time talking Harry into stopping, but they did have to get going on. She rewarded him in the shower adequately for his efforts. This morning, they entered the Great Hall and headed towards the Slytherin table. Tracey looked up as they approached and grinned, poking at Blaise. The Hall went dead silent as Harry sat down.

He looked around in confusion. "What, did they think I would be with Daphne and yet never deign to sit with her?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Probably. They most likely thought you would insist she get rid of her Slytherin tendencies now that she's with you."

"That's ridiculous."

"Yeah. But they don't know you very well, now do they?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Idiots." His attention was caught by a giggle to his side, and he was astonished to see it was Daphne. She was giggling in public? He looked across from her, where Tracey was equally as mirthful. "You two alright?"

Daphne blinked up at him. "I was just thanking Tracey for last night."

Harry blushed a spectacular red.

"Oh!" Blaise exclaimed. "Mind sharing what has the unflappable Boy-Who-Lived blushing like a Weasley?"

Harry glared at him. "None of your business, Zabini."

Daphne giggled again. "Stop teasing him, Blaise. He's a very private person. Most of the time."

Tracey burst out laughing.

"What is all of this ruckus about?" Came the voice of Snape behind them.

Harry turned in his seat, a calm mask on his face. "Nothing, sir. My good lady just felt it was a good time to tease me."

Snape glared at him. "You had better not be corrupting one of my best Slytherins, Potter."

Harry smiled widely. "She is one of the best, isn't she? But not to worry, Professor Snape. I wouldn't want to change her."

Snape's expression was a sight to behold. He obviously agreed with Harry, but couldn't bring himself to admit it. Usually, he would deal with this by insulting him, but even Snape was smart enough not to piss him off in front of so many witnesses. He sneered. "Will you be joining Ms. Greengrass here often, Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "We figured we split the time with our friends, sir. Though we might even venture to the other tables. Hannah and Susan seem like excellent friends, and I've been meaning to see how Luna is. Perhaps we'll join them next."

"Be sure to behave yourself while you're here. I won't have you besmirching the name of my house, Potter."

"Yes, sir."

Snape stalked off, and Harry turned back to see Daphne looking at him speculatively.

"What?"

"I am quite impressed; you managed to hold your temper."

He grinned. "I try."

"Yes. Now, I want to speak with you before Defence." She turned to her friends. "We'll see you guys there."

Tracey winked. "Sure, Daphne."

A confused Harry followed along behind Daphne. "Daph?"

She hushed him until they were in a deserted corridor, then dropped her bag and jumped at him. He caught her as her legs wrapped around him, and stumbled back against the wall. Once his back hit, he turned sharply and pressed her into it.

They arrived in the Defence room, Harry grinning like a fool, two minutes before class started. Harry ignored the look Blaise sent him. They found seats behind Neville and Ron and waited for class to start. Harry stiffened as he noticed Hermione's eyes on him. She dropped a book on the floor and bent at the waist with her back to him. He watched in shock as she flashed her knickers to the room, but managed to focus his attention on the front of the room before she stood up. When the bell rang and still no professor, the class began looking around in confusion. After five minutes, some of them started to fidget.

Harry was the only one who saw the series of stunning spells materialise from the corner. Without a thought, he threw himself over Daphne, knocking her to the floor, while simultaneously raising his hand and a shield.

The rest of the class watched in shock as all five spells bounced of the glowing red dome.

"Well done, Mr. Potter. Very good reaction time." Professor Magnus appeared from the shadows. Harry glared at her as he helped Daphne up. "Could you tell me what shield it was you used, I did not recognise it."

He didn't answer her, busy checking Daphne for injuries. There was a small cut on her hand, which Harry brought up and kissed. It glowed red for an instant, before he pulled away from the now perfect flesh.

"Mr. Potter?"

"I have no bloody idea. But it's blocked anything that was ever thrown at it."

"Except the fire, dear." Daphne reminded him quietly.

"Oh, yeah. It didn't block the fire."

"You are raising an incantationless shield?"

"Apparently."

"Could you come up here and demonstrate? I will shoot spells until it comes down."

Harry shrugged and stood. His shield was up in an instant, and Professor Magnus started shooting stunners at it.

The shield continued to hold.

After a solid five minutes of spell fire, she stopped and thought for a moment. "I have been told you can resist this, Mr. Potter, so I am not concerned. I am going to try something a little more powerful."

Harry nodded. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Imperio!"

There were shocked gasps throughout the class as the spell fizzled out against Harry's shield.

The Professor's eyes went wide. "One more, Mr. Potter?"

"Sure."

"Crucio!"

The spell got through, but it was only enough to cause Harry to grimace briefly. After a moment, he let his shield fall.

"Impressive, Mr. Potter. How long have you been able to do this?"

"I think it's to do with being a Siren, Professor. It didn't happen until the first time someone threatened Daphne. It took me a bit to be able to call it up if she wasn't in immediate danger."

She nodded. "Very good. Now, since you are already up here, perhaps you would be so good as to demonstrate a normal shield for us."

"Sure." Remembering himself, he used his wand this time. It was best if everyone thought it was only his Siren powers he could use without it. "Protego."

This time his shield only held for about three minutes of stunners before collapsing. Harry easily sidestepped the final spell.

"Again, very good. Class, you will notice that it is not necessary to shout a spell to make it powerful. Power and strength come more from determination and force of will. I am willing to bet that Mr. Potter could do it without speaking and it would be just as strong. It is important to learn this lesson, for shouting spells gives the enemy time to counteract them. Thank you, Mr. Potter. You may sit down."

The next hour was filled with quick demonstrations, followed by these mini lectures from Professor Magnus. Harry was impressed, as she seemed to really know her stuff. It was easy to forget how small she was when she was shooting continuous spells at you. She didn't call Harry up again, though she did ask Daphne for help once. Harry had had to sit on his hands to keep from interfering, and the moment she was back by his side he pulled her hand into his and breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled indulgently. The latter part of class consisted of practice in pairs. Harry worked with Blaise, as Daphne knew he would have trouble trying to curse her.

They didn't go to lunch afterwards. Instead, Harry pulled her into their rooms and made slow and sweet love to her for hours. Afterwards, he held her tightly to him.

"I think Tuesdays are going to be hard for me, love."

She ran her hands along his back. "I know."

"You know it's not because I don't think you're capable, right?"

She paused before nodding, and he sensed a bit of hesitancy.

He struggled to reassure her and explain himself. "I know you are. I just... it is hard for me to see you in danger. My entire being wants to jump between you and any spell. I suppose I've always been like this a bit. Hermione used to call it my 'saving people thing', but it is so much more than that now. The idea of anything happening to you... I think it would wreck me."

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Promise me? Promise me that you'll be safe?"

"Always, for you."

He rolled her onto her back and proceeded to love her again.

* * *

Minister Bones sat in her office, relishing the quiet that could only be found early in the morning before anyone else was in the building. It had certainly been an eventful summer, and much of it she didn't understand.

It hadn't been surprising that she was nominated to replace Fudge, though Scrimgeour would certainly have liked to have the post. Amelia didn't necessarily want to be Minister, but she recognised the value in having someone in the position that couldn't be swayed by politics or fear. And she had always prided herself on being such a person. So although she hadn't wanted to be Minister, she was resolved to do a much better job than her predecessor.

In fact, she had spent much of the last month, since she was sworn in, cleaning up the mess that Fudge had left. The man was completely incompetent. She hadn't been able to find a single thing he had done correctly in the last year, and precious little in the years before that. And she was appalled that it had taken a battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort, in the Ministry itself, to get the man to finally admit the truth. At least with her position of Minister she had been able to repair the damage Fudge had done to the DMLE. She didn't have very many fully-trained Aurors, but her new policies had allowed the beginning of the largest training class since 1981. She only hoped they were ready in enough time to actually do something.

Of course, Voldemort seemed to have been unusually quiet in the last month. She had expected him to attack her, especially after she was officially sworn in as Minister, but there had been nothing. In fact, the only raids he had seemed to order had been kidnappings. Amelia shuddered to think what he wanted with so many young women, and she was very glad that Susan was safe at Hogwarts now. But Amelia would not allow Voldemort's inaction to lull her into a false sense of security. She would instead taken advantage of the break to build up her forces.

She also had a feeling she needed to get in contact with Harry Potter. Fudge may have only wanted to use the boy as a poster boy, but Amelia knew better. Harry Potter had been present for and played a major role in every altercation regarding Voldemort himself in the last fifteen years, and Amelia intended to help him in any way she could.

Of course, that was another thing to think about. Who would have thought that Harry Potter, of all people, would be the first male Siren? It was baffling to consider. She was only glad the lad had already found his mate. An unmated Siren at Hogwarts would have been a disaster.

* * *

Harry didn't handle Wednesday very well. Most of the girls seemed to take the fact that he was alone as permission to flirt incessantly with him, Hermione being the worst, and he was accosted by several in the hallways until he found the classroom where his tutor was waiting for him. But even without the flirting, being away from Daphne in the morning after the strain he had endured the day before was hard on him. So hard, that as soon as she showed up outside of the Great Hall he pulled her quickly into the nearest broom cupboard, threw up a silencing charm, and took her against the wall. Then he was forced to give her up again for the afternoon, with nothing to distract himself this time. He spent the time hidden away in a corner of the library, looking up spells he wanted to learn.

When Daphne strolled into the library after her class was over, he pulled her immediately down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest.

"I was only gone for two hours, Harry."

He sighed. "It's not that. I don't like you being somewhere that I can't protect you, and yet I know is dangerous."

She pushed off his chest and eyed him. "I'm just in class. It isn't that dangerous."

One of his hands came off her and dug into his hair, fisting in frustration. "I know that. But it feels like it to me. I just... I want to lock you away and keep you safe." She glared at him. "And I know I can't do that, but I'm just having a hard time adjusting." He leaned his head down so that he was nuzzling her neck. "Everyone I've ever really love has been taken from me. I've never been allowed to be happy, and I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop; for you to be taken from me because I don't deserve you."

Her hands came up and buried in his hair. "Oh, love. What can I do to ease your mind?"

"If I asked you to wear something for me, would you?"

"Yes."

She hopped off his lap and carefully packed away his things, and then took his hand and walked quietly with him back to their room. Once inside, he dug into the bottom of his trunk and pulled out several packages. He carefully opened the largest one. "This is a dragonhide vest. It should be tight enough that it can be worn under your uniform and no one would know. It will protect you from most spells." She took it and kissed his cheek. He unwrapped another package. Her eyes went wide at the two daggers inside. "These will strap to your legs. They're not even made of metal, so they might remain undetected if something happens to you." The last package contained an elaborate wristband. It was a black cuff with platinum etchings and small sapphires embedded throughout. "This has a couple of uses. Back here, a small knife is hidden. It's coated in poison, so be careful with that one. And this part here is a permanent portkey. It will drop you at the edge of Greengrass manor. The cuff itself is a lot like my ring, though not as powerful. It should enable you to cast several low level spells without your wand. I commissioned another ring for you, but they take years to have made, and I wanted something immediately."

Daphne calmly took the cuff out of his hands and tied it onto her wrist. The rest she set aside. Standing up, she shed her robe and uniform, and then pulled Harry up and helped him out of his. She pushed him down into the armchair and climbed into his lap, wrapping herself tightly around him. She knew that he needed the closeness now. With a shudder, he brought his own arms around her. He shifted her slightly until he was firmly embedded inside her, but then moved no more. He didn't want to shag her, just be connected in any way possible. They sat that way, wrapped around each other, for over an hour.

Eventually, Daphne raised her head and began placing languorous kisses on Harry's neck. He shuddered under her. His strong hands kept her pressed tightly to his chest, but helped her move above him. He brought his head down and claimed her mouth, and didn't release her as she moaned through several climaxes. When she was almost completely spent, he slowly stood up, keeping her tightly wrapped around him. He walked to their bed and laid her down, all without separating from an inch of her skin. There he made love to her once more.

He remained inside her as they fell asleep, Daphne still wrapped tightly around him.

* * *

Lord Voldemort came to, once more sprawled across his bed. He groaned in frustration. There was no need to determine what had happened, as he was getting used to waking up like this. Each time, he discovered that he had spent the last several days in a lustful daze, unable to focus on anything else. With a resigned sigh, he sat up and looked around, wondering what the damage was going to be this time.

He wasn't surprised to see the three girls, one of whom was only a child, that littered his floor.

He screamed in frustration. How long could this possibly last? He was going to go mad soon...

* * *

The following morning, Harry was in the shower after his workout when Daphne joined him. Her hands slid around his chest, caressing as she went. He grinned and turned around, pinning her to the wall and entering her in one smooth motion. He was in a much better mood than he had been yesterday, and determined not to let his worry for her get to him again. When he released her, he grinned.

"Can I wash your hair?"

Smiling, she dropped to her knees before him, letting him wrap his hands in her long tresses. As he was massaging the shampoo in, she leaned forward and pulled him into her mouth. Harry took the time to carefully clean every strand before reluctantly releasing into her mouth and allowing her to stand up so he could rinse out the soap.

That morning, they made their way to the Hufflepuff table. "Good morning, Susan and Hannah. Do you mind if we join you?"

The two girls looked up with wide eyes. "Of course not," Hannah answered.

Harry grinned and helped Daphne into her seat. "How has your week been so far?" He asked as he was piling food on his plate. When he had everything he wanted, his left hand slid out of sight under the table. Daphne's demeanour didn't change as it slid slowly up her leg.

"Nothing too exciting. I'm sad that I don't have too many classes with Neville, though, and I'm thinking that's your fault."

Harry grinned. "Sorry 'bout that. McGonagall was nice enough to not separate me from Daphne as much as possible." Daphne continued to placidly eat, and allowed her legs to fall open wider. Harry's hand slid up until he was stroking her.

Hannah pouted at him. "Such a shame, Harry. Not only did Daphne take you off the market, she's keeping us from staring at you all the time."

Susan giggled. "Though the fewer distractions in class might mean we get better grades."

Harry laughed. "You need to find your own bloke, Susan. Speaking of which, what's up with you and my best mate?"

Susan blushed prettily. "We've agreed to have dinner together tomorrow. We'll see where it goes."

Harry nodded. "Be good to him. He's had... well, let's just say that he's suffered a severe disappointment in the romance department recently. His heart may be a bit fragile right now." Neither of the two girls across from him noticed as Daphne shuddered beside him.

Susan nodded. "I know. You're a good friend, Harry."

Harry grinned at her, and then ducked his head to work on his meal. Only Daphne saw him bring his left hand up and quickly suck his fingers clean.

After breakfast, Harry escorted Daphne to Charms, and the couple found a seat towards the front of the room. They were the first ones in the room, so Daphne didn't object when Harry leaned over and kissed her. They pulled apart reluctantly when the door opened, though Harry kept his hand playing with her hair.

Hermione entered the classroom and sneered in disgust when she saw how affectionate Harry was being. She shot them a look, which neither saw, and took her seat on the other side of the room.

Flitwick surprised Harry by asking how many in the class could produce a full Patronus. He asked for demonstrations, and Harry held back. Neville and Ron were both able to reproduce their results from last year. Hermione only got mist this time. Daphne smiled at Harry before producing her silver owl. Then Harry stood up to demonstrate. His stag was expected, though it came out larger than normal. What was unexpected was that riding on the stag's back was a glowing red fox. While the stag pranced around the room, the fox jumped off and came and curled up on Daphne's lap. She smiled brilliantly up at Harry.

* * *

Harry and Astoria were sitting at the table in their sitting room, deeply immersed in a discussion about the benefits of shielding verses dodging while Daphne was curled up with a Runes book by the fire. Harry had beamed happily when Astoria had quietly asked that morning if he would help her with her Defence homework, and he had spent the last hour discussing various things with her and helping her with her spellwork. Every time Daphne looked up, she smiled contentedly. It was nice to see them getting along so well. It was a few minutes before Daphne realised they were no longer talking about school work.

"I know that father will try his best, but I worry. There just aren't that many options available."

"I think you would be surprised, Astoria. He cares very much for you."

Daphne looked up, curious and concerned.

Astoria was twisting her hands together nervously. "I heard some of his and mother's discussions about Daphne. He didn't have a choice. If he didn't allow her to contract, then the Dark Lord would have come demanding allegiance. It is only our willingness to stick with the old ways that have kept us safe from him. And with Daphne failing to contract, I'm all he has left to secure the family's position."

Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "But things have changed since then. My bonding with Daphne has declared your family for the first time in years. He no longer has to court the Dark to protect you."

She looked up, hope shining in her eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"What Harry isn't saying," Daphne spoke up. "Is that he spoke with father about this, and received assurances that you would have a say in who you were contracted to."

Astoria looked up sharply at him. "Really?"

Harry shrugged. "I've had my choices forcibly taken from me, and refuse to allow the same thing to happen to my little sister. I will ensure that you are happy, Astoria."

She beamed at him and launched herself into his arms, burying her head in his chest. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Harry and Daphne spent Thursday evening in their overlarge tub, exploring the benefits of aquatic love making. Harry was fascinated by the way certain parts of Daphne were more buoyant than others, and took her repeatedly in various positions throughout the large tub.

He was beginning to think that his lust was growing, instead of abating. And if this continued, would he ever find enough time to train and defeat Voldemort?

Deciding that he really didn't care at this moment, his attention returned to the voluptuous form that was moving above him. Moving forward, his mouth found her breast, and he smiled as her screams echoed around the room.

* * *

"What do you mean, you couldn't find any Veela?" Lord Voldemort exploded.

The Death Eater in front of him crouched in fear. "We will look harder, My Lord. I swear."

Voldemort screamed in rage. "That isn't good enough! Do you have any concept of what I am going through right now! I need them!"

His wand came down and sliced clean through the man in front of him.

The Death Eaters watching all flinched in shock. Voldemort looked up at them, madness in his eyes. "From now on, the only ones allowed in my presence are those that bring me an offering. Otherwise, you will service me yourself or be killed. BE GONE!"

They scampered, all with the same thought in their head. What in the devil was wrong with the Dark Lord?

* * *

On Friday morning, Harry and Daphne walked calmly towards the end of the Ravenclaw table, where a solitary blonde figure sat. Harry rolled his eyes as Cho glared at him when he passed. "Hello, Luna."

She looked up, wide eyed. "Harry. Good morning."

He smiled. "Do you mind if we sit with you?"

"Oh! Of course not."

He helped Daphne sit across from her, and then took his own seat. "This is Daphne Greengrass, Luna. She's my mate. And Daph, this is my good friend Luna Lovegood. She helped me last year when..."

Daphne smiled. "I know, love."

Luna was looking at him curiously. "You did not know you were a Siren, then, did you, Harry?"

"No. It was a bit of a shock."

She nodded her head. "Daddy wrote an article once about the possibilities of a male Siren. He thought they would only show up when an outside catalyst forced them. Do you know why you turned?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck. Luna always asked the hard questions. "Um, yeah. Mum thought it was because of Voldemort."

Luna smiled softly. "So you were born to defeat him, a being of love to counteract his hate. I wish you the best of luck." She turned to Daphne. "You are very pretty Daphne Greengrass."

Daphne blushed slightly. "Thank you, Luna."

"You need not worry about me. I know the rest of Harry's female friends are causing problems, but I can see you are Siren Bound. It wouldn't be right to lust after Harry. Though he is still pleasant to look at. I hope you don't mind."

Daphne blinked at the girl's bluntness. "I never thought I would have to worry about you, Luna. Harry spoke very highly of you this summer."

Luna beamed. "Oh! That's good. It's so nice to have friends, don't you think?"

Harry chuckled and left the girls to their talking. They seemed to get on surprisingly well, and he was glad that Luna got another friend in the bargain.

Transfiguration passed without any incidents, for which Harry was grateful. In the afternoon, he left Daphne in their room, where Tracey would shortly be joining her, and took his broom outside. He was curious how his flying would be affected now, even if he wouldn't be using his broom much anymore. Professor McGonagall had reluctantly told him that he would not be able to participate in school Quidditch matches, though he was welcome to help with the practices.

Once outside, Harry jumped on his Firebolt and sped into the air. A few hundred feet in the air he came to an abrupt halt and then shot down to the ground at full speed. Half way down, he stopped once more, sighing. It just wasn't as fun anymore. The Firebolt restricted his movement too much. With a sigh, he landed and began making his way back to his room. He would drop the broom off and then come back out for a real fly. If the thing weren't a gift from Sirius he wouldn't even hold on to it. Perhaps he should give it to Daphne. He honestly didn't even know if she knew how to fly. He certainly hoped so, however, as he could imagine flying with her.

He was lost in thought when he rounded a corner and ducked through a tapestry to take a short cut. He came up short immediately.

Cho Chang was standing there, grinning at him.

"Cho? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," she breathed. With a flick of her wrist, her robes dropped. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.

Harry sighed. "Cho, get dressed. This isn't going to work." He turned and started walking the other way.

The girl's eyes flashed. She dashed to catch up and inserted herself before him. Her hands came up and started to roughly grope her own body.

"Don't you want to experience someone different? To make sure that you really are experiencing the best?" She asked in a husky voice.

He shook his head sadly. "Cho, you are standing there completely naked, touching yourself, and yet you do nothing for me. What does that tell you about the answer to your question?"

She pouted. "You're just not being honest with yourself. I won't even tell Daphne. Just this once, Harry," she pleaded.

Harry shook his head and turned once more. He came up short once more at the sight of a livid Daphne standing behind him, removing his invisibility cloak. "Daph!"

"Not now, Harry." Her eyes were fixed firmly on the naked girl.

"But you don't think... please... I didn't... she..." He was spluttering in his fear. He knew it didn't look good for him to be there with a naked girl, especially one he had history with, completely alone, and his mind was conjuring up images of Daphne leaving him and hating him. He never even noticed that her glare wasn't directed at him as he struggled to pull in air.

Daphne, however, had seen most of the confrontation. She had been talking to Tracey in her room when cold fear gripped her heart. Without a thought, she was out the door with Harry's cloak, heading in the direction her heart told her Harry was in. She had felt a moment of fear when she first came upon the pair, worried that Harry would fall in the face of such blatant temptation. She was secure enough in her own body to recognise that the girl before her had her own overwhelming kind of beauty, a beauty Harry had been drawn in by before.

She was shaking herself now for not having more faith in him. She knew every reaction he had, and the naked girl in front of him, though quite pretty, was really doing nothing for him. She wanted to put an end to this now, and decided an object lesson would be the best. She dropped the cloak to the ground, and addressed the girl. "Would you like me to show you what happens when Harry does have a reaction?"

Her hands came down and pulled her top clean off. Harry was panting in an instant, his eyes glued to her figure. He stalked towards her, completely forgetting about the girl behind him, and dropped to his knees before Daphne. His mouth was on her stomach instantly, his tongue playing with the dangling chain there as his hands came up to cover her breasts.

Cho's jaw dropped as she watched. She had been naked in front of him, and nothing. Daphne was still fairly well covered and he was panting after her like a dog in heat.

Daphne's hands came up and covered Harry's, preventing him from accomplishing his goal of removing her bra. He may have forgotten their audience, but she had not. She looked the girl in the eye. "Harry will never react to you like he does to me, not even when you offer yourself to him like a cheap whore. Go, and think about why that is. Move on, and find a man who will treat you like the woman you are, and stop living in fairy tales."

Cho picked up her robe and ran, crying. All her dreams were shattered at her feet, and Harry hadn't even noticed. He was still attached to Daphne. As she rounded the corner, she distinctly heard Daphne scream with pleasure, and could only imagine what he was doing to cause that.

But Daphne was right, it would never be her. What would her family think if they learned what she had done today? She was better than that.

Behind her, in the corridor she had just vacated, Harry was pounding furiously into Daphne, one hand groping her bum and the other lodged inside her bra. By the time he released, he had completely forgotten about the earlier encounter. He followed Daphne back to their room and watched in awe as she stripped for him.

"You, my dear Siren, deserve a reward."

"I do?" he asked stupidly.

"Yes, love. We have enough food here that we shouldn't need to leave. So until we walk out of here on Monday morning for classes, I vow to not put on a stitch of clothing. We need a break from school, and to remind ourselves of what is really important." She guided him out of his clothes and led him over to a seat. "Now, I have a little bit of redecoration I was thinking of, but you can sit and watch. And whenever the need strikes you, I'm here. You can take me whenever and however you wish."

Harry nodded dumbly. She practically danced around the room, moving things around, her body bouncing and moving in the firelight. Harry sat in a stupor, vaguely making a note that he would have to ask her later what he had done to deserve this. He was having trouble remembering just now. But it would have to wait until later, as right now his thoughts were dancing with various possibilities for taking his wife.

She leaned up to place a picture on the bookshelves, causing her body to stretch deliciously, and Harry jumped to his feet. He didn't want to just watch anymore.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stood pacing in front of the angel that was guarding Harry and Daphne Potter's rooms. _It wouldn't let him in!_ He could not fathom why the castle was refusing to allow him entrance, nor could he understand how it was happening. As Headmaster, he had control over all the wards and secrets of the school. And he knew this for a fact, as he had even been able to enter the Chamber of Secrets without the pass phrase (fortunate, as he could not speak it). In his frustration, he even tried blasting the dratted statue, but it hadn't done any good. The stupid thing refused to budge. Even worse, when he tried to scan the magic that was blocking him, there appeared to be nothing there.

He failed to realise that despite his great age and vast amounts of knowledge, there was still magic that was completely unheard of by him, and magic that he would never be able to access. His hubris would never let him understand that crucial fact.

* * *

A/N: I would like to emphasize that no Veela have been or will be harmed in this story. I imagine that they are difficult to find and quite adept at protecting themselves. Voldemort simply _wants_ one. I hope we see that most people are simply misguided because of ignorance. However, I don't like Cho so I make no apologies for bashing her. As for Molly, I have issue with how she treats Fleur, and even her own children sometimes. However, in canon she is a good character. Obviously, this is not canon. As for why I am making Hermione like this: She is one of my favourite characters in the first five books, and again in most of seven. However, she is horrible in book six. As that is when this takes place, I don't feel too bad making her act badly. There really is that much left to this story. There are a total of nine chapter, and all but the last one is complete as of right now.

Enjoy and let me know what you think


	7. Chapter 7

Harry was still grinning as he escorted Daphne down to breakfast on Monday morning. After the week before, this weekend had been just what he needed. He had even talked Daphne into agreeing to repeat their naked weekend whenever they didn't have other commitments. Aside from the sheer perfection of their activities, it had the added bonus of keeping them both away from other meddling parties. Dobby had informed them that both Dumbledore and Hermione had tried to get into their rooms this weekend. Dumbledore repeatedly. Harry was perfectly content to have missed confrontations with both of them. Of course, he realised this wouldn't last. Neither of them was used to being denied, and they would force him to deal with their plans for him.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, eaten at the Hufflepuff table this time. Both were content to dwell in their memories of the weekend instead of the impending separation. But reality could only be put off for so long. It was with great reluctance that Harry kissed Daphne's cheek and headed outside for class, sighing heavily when Hermione seemed to materialise at his side the moment he left the castle. He gave a brief nod in greeting.

"Hello, Harry," she purred.

He shuddered at her tone. He wondered to himself how she could possible think that was attractive. She sounded like the street walker Dudley had drooled over while watching reruns of his favourite late night show. "Hermione." He knew he couldn't outright ignore her, but he was dreading where this conversation was heading. It was hard enough being around people who were obsessed with him, that it was Hermione was downright disturbing. He had always considered her his bossy older sister, and he wasn't into incest.

"You've been so distant recently," she pouted. "Are you really going to throw away five years of friendship over something so silly?"

He turned to stare at her in shock. "Just what is it you think I have a problem with, Hermione?" _Silly_ was the last word he would use.

"Well, I shouldn't have called Daphne those names. I didn't know how strong your connection was. But, Harry, can you blame me? You never even looked at her before this year. I was just surprised."

He shook his head sadly. Clearly, despite her intellect, she couldn't comprehend what was wrong with her actions. "That's not it at all, though I am quite angry about that. Think, Hermione. All those times you were in the library, talking about your plans for me, who do you think was listening in?" Honestly, he had never expected her to understand Daphne, but he was quite appalled to learn she didn't even understand _him_. It was a sad insight to come to.

Hermione clenched her fists. "She's lying. She's just trying to come between us."

He rolled his eyes. "There is nothing between us, Hermione, not like you mean. Once I thought we were the best of friends, but that is all you would ever be to me. How could you ever think differently? I've always treated you like a sister, and I could have sworn you were interested in Ron. But that is beside the point. Daphne did not tell me what she did because she felt threatened by you, or for some desire to make herself look better in comparison. She had no need to try such a thing, as she is my entire world. But again, that's not the point. Even if she disliked you, I would have still been your friend. It was your own actions that ended that. I will never be your perfect little spouse, and I will never cater to your every wish. I am done with being controlled."

Hermione seemed to lose the last of her composure. "It's not fair! You can hardly even know her! I've been there the whole time. Five long years, and always there to save your neck. Does that mean nothing to you? Why couldn't it have been me, Harry? I could have satisfied your every need. I could have been everything for you."

He stopped and turned to face her, and took a reassuring breath. He knew that the only way to get through to her was to explain it in a perfectly logical manner, despite the fact he wanted to yell at her and throw some hexes in for good measure. No, he had to be calm and explain it to her. "Let's take this a bit at a time, so you understand. I know Daphne better than anyone else. I've spent practically every minute with her for the last two months. And I told her things that I never confided in you, so don't tell me that bullshit that you know me better. You think you do, but you only ever knew the Harry Potter you had built up in your head. And I'm not him." Her lower lip began to tremble, but he continued. "Now, I am grateful for the five years you were there, and for the help you gave me, but when I learned that for most of that time you had been plotting to control me, how do you think I would react? Friendship does not give you the right to do that, Hermione. And you want to know why it couldn't have been you? I'll tell you. I never thought of you that way. You were a sister to me, and I always thought you would end up with Ron. I knew years ago that I could never be in a relationship with someone as controlling as you. I need someone who will be my equal, Hermione." He sighed as he realised that he wasn't getting through to her. It was time to address the one issue he knew she couldn't rationalise her way around. "And you honestly think you could have been everything for me?"

"Of course!"

"All right. Let's play a game of pretend. Say I mated with you. Would you be willing to give up most of your library time for me?"

She huffed. "That wouldn't be necessary. I read about Sirens. I'd make myself available every night and that would keep you well."

"Well, you don't have all the correct information then. I'm a male siren, in case you failed to notice. I need affection and intimacy more than just at night. Or have you not noticed that Daphne and I seem to take a large break in the early afternoon? And would you be willing to let me have you in any way I can think of, whenever I wished. Would you let me pull you into our room at a moment's notice and take you? Would you be willing to tell your parents that you had essentially turned into my sex slave? Because that is what the Siren Bond is, Hermione. It is a form of magical slavery." He had to repress the revulsion he felt speaking of his Bond in such a clinical manner. It was degrading to both he and Daphne to describe it that way, but he knew that it was necessary.

"I... the books don't mention that," she said in a small voice.

"And that is why you can't live your entire life based on what is written in a book. Daphne is willing to give me whatever I wish, and puts my needs above her own every day. You don't have the temperament for that kind of relationship, and you never will."

"But... we're perfect for each other! Only you can understand me, and know what it is like to miss the Muggle world. And only you have the status to further my place in society without being a pureblood yourself."

He shook his head. "Understand you? I barely know you, only the persona you pretended to be for the last five years. And you think I miss the Muggle world? I hated it there. I love magic, Hermione. I can't even begin to imagine living my life without it, and I have no desire to ever try. And you honestly think I will be with you for blood status? Do you know me at all?"

She was whimpering again. "But Voldemort! Only I will be able to help you defeat him. You need me!"

"Do you know," he said calmly. "Daphne has already come up with an ingenious plan to use against him, using my strengths that you never even knew about and apparently failed to understand from any book. I am grateful for the help you gave me for the last five years, Hermione, and if you can get over this crazy infatuation you have, then maybe we can be friends again. But in the meantime, please stay away from me."

He turned immediately and walked away from her. He whispered a quiet apology to Hagrid for being late, and told him that he didn't think Hermione would be coming today. Indeed, she failed to show to class for only the second time in his memory.

After lunch, he pulled Daphne into a large chair in their rooms and simply held her as she read. Her quiet presence calmed him down and reminded him constantly of her love and devotion. It was enough.

* * *

Harry spent most of Tuesday studiously ignoring the looks that Hermione was sending his way. It was difficult for him, as for so many years he had been the one to comfort her when she was upset. And he did miss her, or the person she had pretended to be, but he refused to willingly spend time with anyone trying to control him, and he was getting awfully sick of the lovesick act. He had been expecting it from most of the females, but that Hermione was doing it as well was disturbing.

After Defence class and a quiet lunch with Tracey and Blaise, Harry led Daphne outside and guided her to his favourite path by the lake. They didn't speak as they walked, content simply to be together. They had been walking for a good half hour when it began to rain, and Daphne curled into his side, wet and cold. He took one look at her, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin, and dragged her to the edge of the forest. He paused long enough to place an impervious charm on the tree, so she wouldn't injure her back, and then proceeded to love her against it.

Afterwards, he cradled her carefully in his arms and flew back to the castle, entering their room through the large window as he wanted to avoid being seen by anyone. Daphne's clothes had not survived their encounter.

* * *

Harry was expecting it, but he still groaned when he exited lunch on Wednesday to see Professor Dumbledore smiling and waiting for him. It figured that the old man would wait for him to be alone before he would pounce.

"Harry! I wonder if I could trouble you for a bit of time? I have some information for you about what we discussed at the end of last term."

Harry sighed, and wondered to himself how honest the man was going to be. But he had promised to try, and so, as he had no reason not to listen, he followed behind.

Dumbledore's office seemed to have completely returned to its former condition, which Harry was grateful for. He was still a little guilty about having trashed it. Fawkes trilled happily when Harry entered. Smiling, he walked up to the large bird and stroked his head.

"Hello, Fawkes." The bird pushed his head further into Harry's hand, and Harry chuckled at his enthusiasm. "It's good to see you, too. You're looking good. I was worried about you after that last time." Fawkes gave another trill. "I know. Nothing can take you down. You're lucky like that." Harry smiled as Fawkes seemed reluctant to let him leave. "You know, you could come visit me sometime. I wouldn't mind, and I have a lovely young lady I'd like you to meet. I think you'd like her." Fawkes popped his head up and seemed to nod enthusiastically. Harry laughed.

"He does seem quite taken with you, Harry."

With a smile, Harry gave him one last pat and turned to sit down. He grinned cheekily. "He must have excellent taste."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed. Now, before we get to our unpleasant business, how are you doing? Are you able to cope with all of the changes you have experienced well?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I'm getting the hang of it. Daphne's been wonderful, and she helps me with everything."

"Yes, I was quite surprised to learn it was you who had bonded her. I was unaware you even knew each other."

Another shrug. He wasn't going to give anything up if he could help it. "Well, House rivalries have prevented many excellent friendships. I've decided I no longer care about them, and it's made my life much better."

"I noticed you seem to be spending time with each House. A most excellent idea. I have long been pushing for more unity in the school." Dumbledore paused and looked over his hands at Harry. "Would you mind telling me how you came to transform? It was most unexpected."

Harry stiffened. "I'd rather not. It's quite personal."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed, but he didn't press. "Ah, I see. Is this why you felt the need to hide your identity for so long? It seems a little excessive to have required oaths from everyone who spoke to you." Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. If it weren't for the obvious physical changes and the need to explain Daphne's presence in his life he doubted if he would have ever told anyone but his closest friends. That is if he had been thinking clearly before he transformed in front of a crowd of people, but he claimed temporary insanity caused by a broken heart on that one.

"I did not wish to be caged, sir. It would have been a death sentence to me to be locked away." Harry smiled slightly; that was true enough, if not completely accurate. "And I imagine that living at Grimmauld Place with Mrs. Weasley would have seriously curtailed my... ah, activities. She made her opinion on my lifestyle quite clear."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, Molly always has had rather strong opinions."

"Makes it hilarious that her daughter was trying to seduce me only last week." He said casually.

"Ginevra? Really? She is a good girl, if a little obsessive."

"Yes, but I think we got through to her finally. At least, she has stopped dressing like a tart around me."

"Is Miss Weasley the only young lady who has tried such a thing?"

Harry snorted. "No. I had to deal with Hermione again on Monday, and Cho found me last Friday. I have no idea what the girl was thinking. She pranced naked in front of me, Professor."

"And you were able to resist her? That is remarkable."

"Not really. I don't think there is a woman in the world who could successfully seduce me now that I have Daphne."

"That is good for you. As I'm sure you are aware, Bill Weasley has to put up with a rather different set of circumstances in his own relationship. It is good to know that is not a concern for you."

"You know very well that Sirens are materially different from Veela."

"Yes, quite. You seem to have grown quite close to Bill. Is there a reason you chose to ask him for help this summer?"

Harry had to resist the urge to tell the old man that any advisor would be better than him. "Bill is rather used to dealing with attentive females, sir. And I knew his relationship with Fleur had given him even more insight. He was most helpful."

"Good." The Headmaster sighed. "Now, have you had any visions this summer? Any hint of Voldemort?"

"No, sir. Steffan Greengrass was able to help me find someone who could teach me Occlumency properly. After a few short days my teacher declared me the best he had ever seen."

Professor Dumbledore's jaw dropped in shock. "What? But... Severus said..."

Harry gritted his teeth. "Professor Snape did not bother to determine what type of Occlumency I was predisposed for, merely tried to force his own brand. As you would probably guess, I am fit for a very different approach. Daphne was able to tell me this instantly, so I have a hard time believing that Snape could honestly not know."

Dumbledore could think of nothing to say to this, so he moved no. "So nothing from Voldemort."

"No. What has he been up to?"

"Actually, he has been relatively quiet for the last month. There were a handful of attacks in July, but his focus seems to be elsewhere for the moment."

"Do you know on what?"

"No. He seems to be keeping his desires to himself."

Harry didn't believe him, though that was hardly surprising. He didn't think he would get anything useful out of the old man. He looked down at his watch, and was grateful that so much time had passed. "If that is all, sir, I'd really like to be waiting for Daphne when her class gets done. I don't like to be away from her if I don't have to."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Harry. Thank you for your time."

He sighed as Harry left. That had not gone at all how he wished. He had got nothing out of the boy. And it seems Ms. Greengrass had been teaching him how to behave under questioning. There was no way he had learned to be that evasive on his own.

That girl was a bad influence on him. It was a pity it was impossible to separate them.

* * *

The second that class was out on Friday, Harry practically dragged Daphne back to their room, grinning the whole way. She shook her head at his enthusiasm. She had been promising him a surprise the entire morning, and he clearly wasn't prepared to wait any longer.

Once in their rooms, she directed him to take a seat, and disappeared into the bedroom. His eyes widened when heavy music filled the room and a large pole appeared before him. Daphne came in, wearing her uniform still, but she had changed into high heels.

The next twenty minutes passed with Harry salivating as she danced, slowing stripping for him. Under her uniform was a lovely blue negligee the colour of her eyes. She left it on as she sauntered over and resumed her dance on his lap.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy turned up beaten and bruised at the gates of Hogwarts early Sunday morning. She was found by a pair of third year Ravenclaws who were out for a walk, and immediately brought to the Hospital Wing. It took Madam Pomfrey nearly two hours to heal her enough to get her to wake up, at which point she was immediately accosted by Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. The once proud lady nearly broke down as she told her tale. Lucius had dragged her before the Dark Lord Friday night, as an offering, and given her to him. She had been ordered to perform various acts with him, and used mercilessly by a seemingly insatiable Dark Lord. While she was there, she witnessed him kill three different Death Eaters for coming in empty handed, and force four more to service him themselves as she watched. She was only released when another Death Eater appeared with a young Muggle girl. The man had been killed for not bringing her quickly enough. Narcissa was shaking now.

"I don't know what has happened to him. In all my time near the Dark Lord, I have never witnessed him satisfying physical desires, and now he seems obsessed with doing so. He cancelled all his planned raids to send his men out to find more girls. And if he keeps this up, he will soon kill them all."

"Albus, do you know what is happening to him?"

Dumbledore looked troubled. "We have seen that Voldemort's emotions can spill over to Harry. I think the opposite is now happening."

"You mean it is Potter's lust that is fuelling the Dark Lord?" Narcissa asked. "How can a mere boy be so sexually active?"

McGonagall fixed her with a cold gaze. "Do you not read the paper? Potter is a Siren now. A newly mated Siren, at that."

The woman's eyes went wide. "He is going to drive the Dark Lord mad!"

"Yes, it would appear that way." Dumbledore agreed. "I just don't know if that is a good thing or not."

"How could it be otherwise, Albus?" Minerva asked. "He is killing his own servants, and taking all attention away from his plans. He is distracted and vulnerable. We must use this to our advantage!"

"I fear that Harry is not ready to face that destiny."

"You have barely even talked to the lad in months, you have no idea what he is ready to face."

"Nevertheless, I fear we have awhile to wait until he can face Voldemort."

Minerva didn't agree. She would talk to Harry herself about it, once the Potters emerged from their room. They had sent Dobby with a message on Friday that they were not to be disturbed for anything less than an attack on the castle or a death in the family. Minerva had been concerned, until Dobby had assured her that they were simply reconnecting after another busy week, and that it was best that no one go near their room. He had hinted at the fact that they planned to spend every weekend locked away together.

Yes, she would talk to them on Monday.

* * *

Unaware that anything interesting was happening in the Hospital Wing, Harry Potter was sitting on his bed, staring at Daphne while she slept. He had pulled the sheet down so that her chest was visible, and he was simply gazing at her in awe. She slowly blinked awake, stretching deliciously and causing him to groan as this pushed her chest up to him. She grinned to find him there.

"I think you have an unhealthy obsession with my breasts."

He groaned. "How can I not? Have you seen them?"

She chuckled. "You don't have to just stare at them, you know. You're welcome to touch."

With a grin, his hands came out and gently explored every inch of her glorious chest. At first, he was gentle, but gradually his touch became more probing. She arched into his hands, calling his name. With a gleam in his eyes, he climbed over to straddle her thighs and leaned down until his mouth was perfectly positioned to suckle her. He had no idea why, but he loved to have her in his mouth.

She was panting when he finally pulled away. He continued to his ministrations with his hands, staring down at them. "There's something else I'd like to try."

"Anything," she breathed.

He kept at his play for most of the morning. It was the first time he had ever been content to selfishly take his own pleasure without thought to hers.

She really didn't mind. She knew he would make it up to her.

* * *

Harry got up on Monday morning to a note sitting on the table.

_Harry,_

_Will you and Daphne please come to my office as soon as lunch is out today? Tell no one._

_M. McGonagall_

He read it in confusion. It was highly unlike Professor McGonagall. With a shrug, he decided he would find out soon enough. It was probably some school related business.

* * *

Harry Potter was staring at his Head of House in complete shock. "Are you saying that my sexual desire is influencing Voldemort to such a degree that he is blind to all else and killing his own men?"

"Precisely. Evidently, his men have one of three options when they enter his presence. The first is they bring him a female to use as he will, though he would prefer they find a Veela, something no one has been able to do. I take it he is unaware of the measures that Veela typically employ to ensure their safety against just such a thing. The second is that they service him themselves. The last is that they die. Many fall into this third category despite their attempts at the previous two, if he is not sufficiently satisfied. And his madness appears to be getting worse."

Harry's fists clenched. "They're kidnapping girls for him to rape?" His voice went deathly quiet. "Because of me?" The colour drained from his face, and he stared at the floor.

In an instant Daphne was on her knees before him, her hands cradling his face. "This is not your fault, Harry! If he was his normal self, he would be sending his Death Eaters out on raids, and they would be raping anyway, only it would probably be more girls than the ones he is using on his own. This is better, love. Less people are dying and getting hurt, and we have the opportunity to do something."

He stared down at her, asking for reassurance that she freely gave. Finally, he closed his eyes and asked, "How do we use this to our advantage?"

"Well, the first part should be enjoyable to you, as I think we should let him stew with this for a few more days and add to his frustration. Plus, it would be nice to not act until most of his Death Eaters have been killed or fled. But I think you should go after him soon, for a more permanent solution."

"How would we get to him?"

"Perhaps we can offer him what he most wants?" Daphne asked.

"A Veela?" Minerva clarified.

"Yes. Or, at least, we can pretend. I don't really want to put Fleur in danger, and she's the only one we know. But I could take her form."

Harry stood suddenly and glared at her. "You are not going to pretend to be Veela to get to him. I forbid it!"

She stood and slapped him. "How dare you! You have no right to forbid me to do what I must! I will do what I see fit to end this war, and damn you and your opinions!"

Harry recoiled back from her strike and stared at her in horror. Then, without warning, he crumpled to the ground. He was wheezing, and barely breathing, clawing at his throat.

"Daphne!" Minerva exclaimed. The girl turned to her in shock. "Have you no concept of what you just did? His entire existence is now built on his love and devotion to you, and every cell in his body is programmed to protect you at all cost. And you just told him to shove who he is and that you didn't care."

Daphne's face fell, and she turned to Harry. He was curled up on the floor, his hands tearing into his hair, sobbing as he struggled to breathe. Her hand came up in shock as the ribbon around her neck grew warm.

"Daphne! If he succeeds in burning that off of you, he will die!"

"NO!" Her hands came up and covered the ribbon protectively. She looked at him again, and her heart broke. He was just trying to protect her, and she had flown off the handle. She dropped to her knees and crawled to him. "Harry! No! Please!"

He was rocking on the floor now, his hands covering his ears. The minute her hands touched him his entire body shuddered. She pushed and slid her body into the protective circle of his, ignoring as his head repeatedly shook no as if denying her.

Minerva wisely chose to leave the room.

"Harry, please look at me!" Her small hands were winding on top of his, trying to calm him down.

He squeezed his eyes shut, still furiously shaking his head. Her ribbon continued to heat.

"Don't you dare take this ribbon from me! I love you, Harry Potter!"

"No... No... you... forbade... me... said... damn... me..." His words were forced out between stuttering breaths. "Don't... want... me..." His fingers dug into the sides of his head. "Release... you... free... you..."

"No! Please, Harry." She was crying now with him. "Dammit! Look at me!"

"Can't... seeing you... hate me... would... kill me..."

"I don't hate you! I'm sorry, Harry. Please, I didn't mean it!"

He was shaking his head in denial, so Daphne did the only thing she could think of. She forced his head still and kissed him. He froze underneath her, refusing to move with her, but she didn't stop. She pushed further into him, crushing her small form to his chest and edging her fingers under his to get to his hair. She kissed every inch of his face, but kept returning to his lips.

Harry whimpered.

"Please, Harry," she murmured against his mouth. "Please, let me love you."

He pulled back from her slightly. "Do you... mean it?"

"Always!"

"But... you said..."

"You know I have a temper. I just lost it, and I'm sorry." She pressed another kiss to his unresponsive mouth. "I was just angry and not thinking about what I was saying. Of course you have the right to protect me."

"Promise?"

"Yes. And even if I don't like them, I'll always listen to your opinions."

"But... what about... the next time... I say something... you don't like?"

"Even then. I can't handle the thought of you leaving me. I'll never let this happen again."

He shuddered against her. "Do you really want... to put up with me? I'll release you..."

"Never suggest that again, Harry Potter. My life would have no meaning without you in it." She kissed him again, but still no response. "Please, look at me, Harry."

"No more anger... in your eyes? Please, I can't... I can't deal with that."

"No more anger."

He slowly blinked open his eyes and met her gaze. She whimpered at the dead look in his eyes. They were flat and dull. She pressed another kiss to his mouth while he watched. This time, there was the smallest of response from him. She shouted for joy and attacked him, but he just lay there.

"Harry?"

"I can't... I don't... something's wrong with me."

"Yes, love. I nearly broke you."

"Daphne, you're... you're everything to me. Please... don't leave me. Please..."

"I'll never leave, love."

"I can't... I can't even breath... without you."

"I know love." She carefully picked up his arms and placed them around her waist, and pulled herself closer to him. "Love me, Harry."

"I..."

"Don't be afraid."

Slowly, his eyes darting between hers warily as if he thought she would deny him, he moved his head to kiss her. She whimpered into his mouth. The longer he kissed her, the stronger his hold became, until it was bruising in intensity. The gasping movements of his chest calmed down as they embraced. He finally pulled back a hairsbreadth, running his lips over every inch of her face.

"Please don't... please don't do that again. I don't think I could handle it."

"I'm sorry, Harry. I wasn't thinking."

"I felt like, like my muscles forgot how to work. And I couldn't breathe, and the entire world was crashing down on me."

She sobbed quietly and pulled him closer. "Do we need to reconnect, to convince you that I'm here to stay?"

"Are you?" He asked quietly.

She cried harder, devastated that he felt he had to ask. "Always. Even if I sometimes forget myself and let my temper get the best of me."

"Can you... can you show me?" He asked softly.

In response, she gently pushed him onto his back. Her hands were gentle as she stripped him, worshipping every inch of his body as she went. She moved down to take him in her mouth, but he stopped her.

"Just you right now, please?"

She smiled, and pulled her own clothes off. Naked, she sank down onto him. He cried with relief when he was buried inside her. She held his gaze as she moved, watching as the sparkle and life returned to his eyes. She vowed to always remember this day, so that it would never happen again. Harry may be strong to everyone else, but he was so fragile to her, and she could break him so easily. She would remember from now on. She would let no one, not even herself, harm him. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to his own pleasure, merely staring at her as she moved. Knowing that she needed to give him this, she stared down at his eyes and willed her own release. As she exploded around him, his strength seemed to come back. He rolled quickly until he was above her, and drove into her hard.

He was whispering under his breath. "Mine. Always, mine. Please, mine."

She nearly cried again at his vulnerability, but instead offered everything of herself to him. Her hands came up and pulled him down. She guided his head down until his lips were resting against the ribbon at her neck. He sighed at the feel of it, and pressed careful kisses over every inch of it.

Eventually, he shuddered above her and collapsed, murmuring "Thank you" against her throat.

When Daphne had them both dressed and presentable again, she went to open the door. She was shocked to find Professor McGonagall pacing the corridor outside. The woman immediately pulled her out in the hall and shut the door.

"Do you have any idea what you could have just done to him?" She hissed. "You have to be more careful with your words and actions, or you will completely destroy him."

Daphne shut her eyes, unable to prevent the tears from falling. "I didn't know, but I do now. It will never happen again."

"How is he?"

"Better, but not whole."

"And you will fix that? As soon as possible?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Then let's finish our conversation so you can get to it."

They returned to Harry, Daphne taking her seat in his lap and kissing his cheek. He smiled softly at her.

Minerva cleared her throat. "I think Daphne's idea has merit, though, of course, we would not think of using her. If we could send Harry in, disguised as a Death Eater, with a Veela, it should give him an immense advantage."

"But, who?" Harry asked quietly.

"We do have a rather talented Auror who could take the correct form, and is rather adept at protecting herself."

"Tonks?"

"Yes. I'm sure she would even volunteer."

Harry looked out the window, thinking. Finally, he gave a small nod. "Ask her. But make sure she knows the risks. And we'll need to capture a Death Eater for me to impersonate, or follow."

"Oh, I think I have the perfect one for that."

They looked at her curiously.

"Do you think one of you could have an altercation with young Mr. Malfoy? One that would necessitate calling his father in?"

Daphne grinned. "Oh, it would be my pleasure."

"Good. Severus has told us that Lucius is the secret keeper for Voldemort's location. It will be perfect. Now, go. I believe you two have some things to do."

Daphne led Harry to their room, her heart clenching every time he nearly missed a step. She was grateful they didn't run in to anyone, as she didn't want anyone to see him weak and hurt. Tonight, she was going to try and make it as much about him as he would let her.

It would relieve some of her guilt.

* * *

Professor Magnus had been warned, so it didn't come as a great shock to her when she walked into her class on Tuesday morning and Daphne Greengrass was sitting on Harry Potter's lap. The lad had always been affectionate around her, but usually Daphne's natural reserve caused him to be quite circumspect in how he displayed it. She had no idea what had happened yesterday to cause it, but he seemed almost vulnerable in the way that he held the girl tightly to him. Cressida would try to get it out of Minerva later. She also decided it was probably best to not call on either of them for demonstrations today. Harry had a look on his face that made her question if anything could get him to relinquish his hold.

She sighed. Dealing with a Siren and his mate was not included in the job description when Dumbledore talked her into this post. It had certainly made her class... interesting.

* * *

Harry had spent Wednesday afternoon with Ron, flying casually and discussing Quidditch strategies, while Daphne had class. He had also taken great pleasure in teasing Ron about his date with Susan the weekend before. Ron seemed quite taken with the shy Hufflepuff, and Harry was ecstatic for him. When Ron's stomach started to grumble, they headed inside for dinner.

Daphne wasn't in the Hall.

Harry was immediately concerned, until he cornered Tracey. She giggled and smiled at him.

"She's fine, Harry."

"But... where is she?"

"Where do you think?"

He looked confused for a moment before it struck him, and he was already heading for the door.

"Have fun!" Tracey called after him.

He stepped into their rooms to the sight of candles lit everywhere and a delicious smell that he couldn't quite pinpoint. His breath caught as he turned to see Daphne laying spread out on the rug before the fire, waiting for him. She was wearing a brown and red negligee that seemed like a second skin. Without a word, he stalked towards her. As he got closer, he tilted his head in confusion. It looked like a second skin, too.

"Daphne?"

She grinned. She took her finer and swiped it down between her breasts, leaving a trail of clean skin behind. She held her finger, now coated, up to him. "Taste."

He leaned over her and bent down, taking her finger into his mouth. Chocolate. And strawberries. He groaned. She pulled her hand slowly back and lay there, grinning up at him. With a growl, he sunk to his knees at her feet. Crawling forward, he started at the chocolate that covered the tops of her thighs, and began painstakingly cleaning her. He paused long enough to bring her to bliss twice before moving up her body. He was getting sloppy as he moved up her abdomen, leaving traces behind in his haste to move on. He drove into her while still cleaning off her breasts.

When Harry collapsed to the floor beside her, he was grinning like a fool. "That was fantastic."

She giggled. "Mm, yes, it looked like it. Do you mind if I try?"

He raised an eyebrow as she found her wand and turned it on him. She didn't paint his entire body, rather contented herself with adding layer after layer of chocolate in one particular spot. When she was satisfied, she tossed her wand aside and gave him a saucy look before bending down and moaning around her treat. Harry watched, completely enthralled.

* * *

On Thursday morning, Harry and Daphne ate breakfast with Susan and Hannah again. Daphne and Hannah spent most of the time quietly talking together, while Harry surreptitiously watched Susan. She was constantly sneaking glances over at Ron, and then blushing whenever anyone caught her at it. When she looked up and saw Harry watching her, her head ducked in embarrassment.

Harry grinned. "Seems you are quite taken with my best mate, Susan."

She shrugged her shoulders but nodded shyly. "He's a little rough around the edges, but he's a good guy." A strange look came into her eyes. "And he's so tall..."

Harry chuckled. "He's treating you right?"

She blushed again. "Yeah. I don't think he really knows how to deal with me, and so he stutters around a lot, but he's always a gentleman." She tilted her head in thought. "Well, mostly."

Harry raised an eyebrow in question.

Susan giggled. "Last night we went for a walk and I wore this dress. I don't think he realised just how much our school robes cover. But he was so flustered and adorable about it." Her eyes sparkled as she glanced down briefly at her own chest. "I really didn't mind."

Harry laughed. "Ah. Well, as long as he treats you okay." He contemplated her silently for a moment before going on. "I think you're good for him. He's been surrounded by strong and opinionated women all his life, and I think it is good that he can come out of his shell a bit around you. He doesn't need another woman who wants to control him."

Susan smiled softly. "Yes, I was surprised by the changes in him. Until this year, I only ever saw him around Hermione, and now... well, he's just different. I like it."

"Good. I'm happy for the both of you."

"Thank you Harry. You're sweet."

He chuckled. "Daphne has taught me well."

* * *

Harry was sitting in their room, reading and waiting for Daphne. She had left an hour ago to help Hannah get ready for a date with Neville tonight. Harry had a feeling it was more to gossip about him and the other boys, but he didn't mind. He knew Daphne would keep most everything to herself, and he didn't mind her talking about him a bit. It seemed to inspire the other girls, and his mates were always appreciative of the result. He heard the door open behind him and grinned.

"Hello, love," he called without turning around.

A hand landed on his shoulder and trailed around to his chest as Daphne came into view. With a wink, she sat in his lap. Her hands came around his neck and twisted into his hair, pulling his head down.

Harry pushed her away ruthlessly and stood, breathing harshly. "What the fuck!"

Daphne blinked up at him in confusion. "Harry? What's wrong?"

"Who the bloody hell are you?" He growled. "Because there is no way in hell you are Daphne. How did you even get in here? Who sent you? Where's Daphne? If you hurt her, Merlin help me but I'll destroy you!"

The Daphne on the floor smiled.

A voice came from behind him, causing him to whirl around. There stood Daphne, beaming at him. "Harry."

He stared at her for a second before stepping quickly to her and pulling her into his arms. Then he froze, seeming to remember the other girl there, and shoved her behind his back, his hand coming up as he faced the imposter. "Answer me! Who are you?"

The Daphne on the floor stood up slowly, hands held out in surrender, before her outline began to blur. Violet replaced blue and black phased into pink. "Wotcher, Harry."

"Tonks! What the bloody hell where you up to?"

Tonks giggled. "Daphne wanted to see how good I was. And I wanted to see how strong your connection was."

Harry turned to stare at Daphne behind him. "You wanted her to test me?" A hint of the vulnerability from a few days ago was present in his eyes.

Daphne pursued her lips to keep her smile in. He was so... adorable was the only way to put it. "No. I knew you would know the difference." His face relaxed. "But Tonks here seemed to think she could impersonate everyone, so I was showing her the error of her ways."

"Really?" Amusement lit his green eyes now.

"Really." Her hands wove behind his neck and she used the same move Tonks had, but this time Harry went. He kissed her hungrily for several minutes.

"If you're going to do that in front of me, do you mind if I join in?" Tonks asked cheekily from beside them.

Harry pulled back and stared at her in shock. "What?"

With a saucy wink, Tonks phased back into an imitation of Daphne. "Wouldn't two be better than one?"

Harry growled at her. His hand shot up and Tonks glowed red over her entire body. With a pop, she was back in her usual form. She squinted in confusion, and then looked at Harry in complete surprise.

"How did you do that?"

Daphne was confused. "Do what?"

"He blocked me from taking your form!"

The two women turned to a grinning Harry. "You'll find I can protect her from anything, even imitation. No one can take the place of my Daphne, and I don't want you to even try."

Daphne wound her arms around his torso, hugging herself close to him. "Thank you, Harry."

He looked down at her tenderly. "I love you, Daphne. Don't ever question that."

"I know."

"Well," Tonks quipped. "You two are sure interesting to be around. Now, why don't you tell me about this little plan of yours?"

Harry was serious instantly. "How would you like to help me get rid of Voldemort? Permanently."

* * *

A/N: A little bit shorter, but I wanted to cut it before things started to get really interesting. Obviously, next chapter will be the fight. Then there is just one more chapter after that. After I finish up this story, I plan on making a concerted effort to finish Elemental.

I am still a bit unsure how to tie up some loose ends after the final battle. Particularly Dumbledore. If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been carefully staged. McGonagall had held Draco back on Friday after their class so that she could discuss his latest essay with him. When he walked out of the room, he found Harry and Daphne, wrapped tightly around each other.

"Well," he drawled. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"

They pulled apart and Harry turned to glare at him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Since you stole the hottest girl in school, Potter, I thought it was only fair that I get to watch. Pity you probably wouldn't let me have a go at her. I bet I could teach her a thing or two."

Harry didn't even need to pretend to be mad, he was livid. With hardly a thought, he threw Draco against the wall. "I think I'll finish what Daphne started," he growled.

Draco's eyes went wide. He didn't even have time to scream before Harry's glowing red and magic reinforced knee was heading towards him.

* * *

"Minerva."

She looked up from her papers, smiling tightly at him. "Hello, Albus. What can I help you with today?"

"I understand you have requested the assistance of young Nymphadora this weekend."

She pursed her lips. She really couldn't understand why the man insisted on calling the girl that despite her professed hatred for the name. Surely it wasn't hard to call someone by their chosen name? "Yes. Just for the weekend."

"Would you mind telling me what you need her for?"

"Oh, just an experiment, if you will. Miss Tonks graciously volunteered her rather remarkable talents to help me satisfy my curiosity."

He frowned at her. "Was it really important enough to commandeer all her time?"

"Well, things have been so quiet recently, we thought it couldn't hurt. I actually expect I won't need her any longer than Sunday afternoon at the latest. We're investigating a rather promising new use for her skills."

He sighed. She was being purposely vague with him. She had a habit of doing that when she was on to something. Minerva always had liked to have all the facts before sharing; it was a personality trait he had run afoul of several times in their many years working together.

"Very well. Please let me know how your experiment goes." He turned to leave and then reconsidered. "Have you spoken with Harry and Daphne this week?"

"I spent some time with them on Monday."

"Did you discuss what Narcissa informed us of?"

"I helped them through a misunderstanding."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Daphne was unintentionally hurtful with her words. I helped her realise that she must be more careful around Harry, as his nature will make him take many things to heart that could just be said in the heat of a fight. They are quite recovered now, though."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Minerva."

She struggled to suppress the urge to roll her eyes as he left. It amused her that he always dismissed her, even when it was he who had come to her office. She was also somewhat startled that he had fallen for both of her misdirections so easily. He must be very preoccupied.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy was livid. The Dark Lord had nearly killed him last weekend, and he had only been spared after promising him the use of his wife. His beautiful Narcissa hadn't returned from the Dark Lord's mansion, and Lucius could only assume that she had gone the way off all the previous toys of his insane master. And now, he had received a letter from Minerva McGonagall informing him that his son got into an altercation with Harry Potter and they were worried that the boy's... equipment had been so badly damaged he would be unable to ever use it properly again. Lucius was disgusted. The boy already had not known how to use it properly, as Lucius had been forced to pay for several girls to cater to his son's needs, as none of them were willing to stay on their own. This had seriously depleted his already strained resources (it had cost entirely too much to bribe the Ministry for his freedom, but it was essential that he be able to move freely in the world without worrying about being arrested and he was simply glad he had managed it before Bones was made Minister). But even if his son was useless, he would still have been able to produce an heir when Lucius paid for that stupid Parkinson girl to be his wife.

Now, it didn't look like that would be possible. All thanks to that stupid Potter boy.

As luck would have it, he ran in to the Potter brat in the stairwell going up to the Hospital Wing.

"You!" The boy turned to look at him, looking completely unconcerned. "What did you do to my son?"

"What he deserved," the brat answered calmly.

Lucius went rigid as a spell struck him from behind. His eyes went wide as Potter walked towards him, and dragged him into the closest classroom. He recognised the eldest Greengrass girl when she entered the room and shut the door behind her. His eyes narrowed. The stupid girl had turned down his son for Potter, and now she was attacking him.

She would die.

"Now, Lucius, you and I are going to have a little chat." Lucius glared at him. He wouldn't tell him a thing. "And I know you're thinking in that pretty little head of yours that you're not going to tell me a thing, but I have ways to make you." He grinned and it nearly turned Lucius' stomach. "You see, my lovely mate here has a positively vindictive streak, and she's going to show you what she did to your son."

Lucius' arm was roughly grabbed and moved until his hand was down his own pants. "I want you to be able to feel what is happening." Potter answered his unasked question. With a wave of the boy's wand, Lucius felt his head unfreeze, but he held his tongue.

With a smirk, the Greengrass slut sauntered up and aimed her wand. Lucius' eyes went wide as he felt himself start to shrink. "Stop!" He knew very well that such damage was irreversible – Healers were notorious for refusing to enlarge that area of a man's anatomy, never believing that it had been injured in the first place. He didn't even know how she was doing it, for the regular shrinking charms didn't work on the human body. She must have found a special spell.

"No, I don't think I will," she answered calmly. "There's only one thing we want from you."

"Anything! I can pay you!"

Harry laughed. "I don't want your dirty money. I just want one little thing... or location, I should say."

Lucius' eyes went wide. "I can't... He'll kill me."

"Well, that's not really my problem, Lucius."

The spell was still working, and his frozen hand could feel as it worked. If he didn't stop them soon, there would be nothing left.

"Fine! I'll tell you."

"I knew you would come around."

* * *

Lucius' frozen form joined that of his son's that night. A small tabby cat curled up on the floor, keeping guard over them both until it was too late for them to mess anything up. And the beauty of it was that, by having Harry and Daphne corner them both, there was nothing either could do about it when they eventually woke up. If anyone else had attacked either Malfoy, they would have been crying foul and twisting the law to attack their persecutors. But Harry and Daphne were above the law.

* * *

Albus sat in his office, frustrated and angry. Nothing was going his way and he didn't know how to fix it. He had spent much of the week reading any resource he could on Sirens. He knew he had to be careful where Harry was concerned, as even he would not be protected from the boy's wrath. It was such a nuisance that Harry had that bloody protection because of his bond. But Albus was confident he had now found a way around it.

Harry could not properly retaliate for something if he didn't know who was doing it.

Of course, Albus' plans would be going better if Severus had not refused to help this time. It was just his luck that Harry had managed to snag one of the few students that Severus refused to act against.

Oh well, there were others who would be willing to help. And once Ms. Greengrass had been attacked enough times, each time without a known assailant, Harry would come running to him for help. Then his plans would be back on track.

It was only ashame Mr. Malfoy had landed himself in the Hospital Wing. He would have jumped at the opportunity to help. But there were others. And they were prepared to do what they must. It was disappointing that it had to wait until later in the week, as the boy was once more locked in his room with that silly girl.

* * *

It was Harry who was creative tonight. He would never admit it, but he was worried that this was their last night together, that he would die facing Voldemort tomorrow morning. So he had gone out earlier and cornered Colin, begging to borrow the boy's camera equipment. Daphne seemed nervous at first, until Harry showed her the spell Colin had taught him that would prevent anyone but the two of them from seeing the true nature of the pictures. Then, she got into it. They took countless pictures of each other in various states of undress and positions, and then managed to take several together.

The last pose was Daphne favourite. Harry was standing behind her, his head down to nuzzle against her ribbon, his arms wrapped securely around her, one hand resting flat against her lower stomach while the other cupped her breast, with his wings out and creating a protective cage around them. She insisted he leave the wings out after that, and took great pleasure in stroking them as he loved her. Harry was a mess of hormones from her ministrations, claiming his wings were particularly sensitive.

He finally put his wings away, only to pull out several large mirrors that he placed around their bed. He was amazed at how much more vocal Daphne was when she could see them coming together.

After that, Harry tried to get her to sleep, recognising her exhaustion. She simply glared at him.

"Harry Potter! Do you honestly think I'm going to give up any of my time with you tonight to do something so ridiculous as sleep? Not on your life!" Claiming she would like a bit of a break, she pushed and pulled him into the centre of the bed. Lying on her back, she guided his head to her breast and helped him latch on. Then she ran her fingers through his hair and started to talk. "You just enjoy yourself down there, my love, while I tell you about my dreams."

"When we first met earlier this summer, do you remember that day we talked about what we saw for our futures?" He nodded slightly, though he didn't pull away. "I told you that it really didn't matter what I wanted. That I would get married to the man of my father's choosing, be forced into bearing his children, and then spend the rest of my life counteracting his influence in their lives. That I would be treated as nothing more than a beautiful broodmare." His hands tightened around her waist, showing his displeasure with this idea. "Well, I'd like to answer again, love, now that I have a choice in my future." She could feel him smile against her breast.

"I know you worry that you forced me into this, that the strength of your devotion to me left me no choice. But, Harry, I was trying to think of a way to choose you even before. And when I found out you were the Siren... Bill actually asked me, you know, if I knew what this would mean for me. He gave me the opportunity to walk away. But I couldn't. I would give up so much for the opportunity to be with you, and I was willing to do the same even when you were a scrawny and shy boy who probably would have been too scared to even kiss me. I would have taken you without all of this."

With a growl, he pulled away and pressed his lips to hers for several long minutes. She grinned when he pulled away. "Now, I'm not done, so go back to amusing yourself." He winked before dropping his head to her neglected breast and latching on. She sighed at the contact. "You really do have a fascination with breasts, beloved. But anyway, once I knew what you were, there was never any doubt in my mind. It felt like... like that was what I was meant to do with my life. And every day since, I've fallen in love with you more. I don't ever want you to think that our passion is all fuelled by you, my love. I want you all the time, and I'm intensely grateful that I have such a readymade excuse to jump you whenever I want. I hope I always will."

His hand came up and caressed the side of her face, and she looked down to meet his sparkling green eyes. "So now, for the first time in my life, I can think about what I want for my life. Foremost I want to be with you, but I think you knew that. I want to spend the next several years exploring our world and just being together. We can travel and see all the sights there are to see. You can love me in every corner of the world. And then, in a few years, I want you to lift that charm from me so that I can grow round with your child." He shuddered against her. "You like that, too, don't you?" His eyes met hers again and were filled with such love that she knew his answer. "I want to give you as many children as you wish, so that our home will be filled with love and happiness for years to come. I want a little boy who looks just like his father, and a little girl who is the apple of your eye. And then we'll have another little boy, so that my father will have someone to give his name to."

She smiled softly down at him. "It is impossible for me to express how much it means to me that you are willing to do that for him. You are the most selfless man I know, Harry Potter."

He pulled his mouth away from her and crawled up until he was hovering above her. "The man I am is entirely because of you, beloved."

She sighed happily and let her legs fall open in silent invitation. He pushed slowly into her and rested there, revelling in the feeling. His hands came down and rested on her abdomen. "Thank you for being willing to fulfil my dreams and give me a family. Seeing you grow round with my child... I cannot express how much I wish for that."

Her arms wound around him and pulled him down until his full weight rested on her. "Do you like my dreams, Harry?"

"More than anything."

"Then together we will make them reality. Go, tomorrow, and make our world safe for our children, and then return safely to me. My children need their father, and I need my lover, for at least the next century."

"Century, huh?"

"At least. Actually, I think we should try to beat Dumbledore's record. And we can still be wildly making love when you are old and grey. Though I don't think you can have a beard. It would make it awkward to kiss you, you see."

"As you wish, my love." With slow, deliberate movements he moved in her, struggling to remember ever second of this experience and imbibe it into his very soul.

* * *

Lord Voldemort was quite certain he was going insane. Occasionally, he would wake up to periods of minor lucidity, and realise that he had killed more of his Death Eaters, and used several girls through exhaustion and straight into death. He was experiencing one such moment now, coming after a night of such extreme lust he had woken up surrounded by five corpses.

He did not even recollect killing them.

He had called for his servants, but no one had answered. It was hardly surprising when this was the welcome that awaited them. He wondered how many he had left. He had killed many, and he had no doubt that others had fled in fear of what he might do to them. It had not escaped his notice that only two of the corpses around him were female.

A noise in the corridor caused him to pull his head up in anticipation. His hands were starting to shake once more with need, and he knew his power of rational thought was swiftly dwindling.

Lucius Malfoy entered confidently, his hand wrapped tightly around the arm of a beautiful young woman. He threw her on the floor at Voldemort's feet. She did not move. "My Lord, I have found what you sought." Voldemort's eyes went wide in anticipation. "She is Veela. At least a quarter. She is also the fiancée of the eldest Weasley boy."

Voldemort's eyes gleamed. What an added bonus. "Very good, Lucius."

He stepped down from his throne, his lust stirring at the sight of the blonde beauty crumpled on the floor. Her form was lithe and nubile looking. He bent towards her and pushed her onto her back so he could see her better. She looked dazed and confused, but he ignored this. Though quite thin, her body was voluptuous, and he liked what he saw. He pulled her up by the throat.

"You are Veela, girl?"

She blinked in confusion. "My grandmuzzer..." she murmured in a lightly French-accented voice. She was even pleasant to listen to. He greatly hoped she would last.

He caressed her face. "Yes, you will do nicely. Do you know the honour that is to be accorded you, girl?" She blinked again. "You are to be my lover, and satisfy my needs. You will be the treasured of Lord Voldemort."

She recoiled away from him, but he maintained a firm grip on her upper arm. With his other hand, he sliced down through the front of her shirt, displaying her lovely form to his hungry eyes. Yes, he hoped she would last. He was so focused on the beauty before him he forgot that Lucius was even in the room. His lust was quickly spiralling out of control once more. He looked up to see her lovely eyes again, and was shocked by what he found. They were not the blue they had been before, but instead violet. He tilted his head in confusion.

"Surprise!" she whispered.

His shock was forgotten as pain tore through his head. Unimaginable pain. He dropped the girl, his hands coming up to claw at his head, trying to get it out. It was poison to his very being.

Lord Voldemort collapsed to the floor, screaming wildly. His eyes were out of focus, unable to see anything before him. For ages he screamed, until his throat could handle no more. Then the screams were silent. His mouth moved in a plea for mercy, to end whatever this torture was. Even the great mystery of death would be preferable. His sightless eyes never saw the tall form that stood above him with raised hand. If he had been able to see it coming, he would have accepted the cutting curse that cut off his head as a blissful end from the torture.

His last few seconds were so disoriented, he could not even employ his safeguard. His connection to Nagini had been carefully maintained so as to be ready if his mind and spirit had to take refuge in her willing body. But all connections were lost as he struggled within himself to eject the invading force that was torturing him with something he couldn't even understand.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks knew what her part was once Voldemort went down. She was to ensure that the body was permanently destroyed, and get Harry Potter out of there at any cost. Seeing as how he had kept the perverted Dark Lord from doing any more to her than leering, she was even more strongly inclined to help him. Voldemort's body was transfigured into a small stone which she pocketed to give to Harry later. Stepping to Harry's dazed form, she pulled his arm around her shoulders and began lugging him out of the room. He seemed dazed and confused, and judging by how much of his weight she was currently supporting, he was two seconds away from collapsing.

He lasted until the last hallway before the door before crumpling against her. Unable to support his weight, she let him drop. Then her wand was out to levitate him the rest of the way. She had no idea what it was he had done to Voldemort to make the man scream in pain like that, but it must have taken a lot out of him. And Professor McGonagall had been perfectly clear. She had to get him out of there, and back to Daphne, as soon as possible. No matter his physical condition. She was also to keep him out of the clutches of any Ministry personal, or Dumbledore, no matter the cost. Tonks had been sceptical about this until she had come face to face with exactly how much the young man had changed. She had no idea how he had known instantly that she wasn't the Greengrass girl, but if his love was that strong, she would help him return to it.

It was a pity, though, that he didn't seem up to experimenting with her. She would have liked to have a turn. She had never seen such passion before, especially not from such a genuinely good guy. Unfortunately, her talents meant that she usually attracted the very worst sort. They all wanted her to become the woman of their dreams. Instead, Harry had ensured that she couldn't. It was awe-inspiring.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they passed the edge of the wards; it had been a long walk, especially as the difficulty involved in levitation was directly proportional to the magic of the object being levitated. She dropped him on the ground, and pulled the chain from around his neck until she could press it into his skin with her bare hand. "Safe home."

She found herself on a dirt road, in front of a large manor home. There was a scream as soon as they appeared, and Daphne came running. Behind her, hurrying at a more sedate pace, was a tall man with dark hair. It must be the girl's father. Tonks smiled at them and gave a short nod, then passed out.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass Potter was occupying a chair in the middle of her father's front garden. Harry had insisted she wait for him at home, as it was safest for her, and her parents would be able to keep her company. Despite the fact that she had not slept a wink the night before, she was alert and pacing for most of the morning. Her father was sitting by her side, calm and quiet as he shared her vigil. Her mother was sitting in the front room, watching out the window.

It had broken her heart to watch Harry leave that morning without her. That was why she had taken the time to share so much with him last night, so that he carried her dreams with him when he left. She had also pulled Tonks away for a moment and extracted a rather alarming promise from the older witch to protect him and return him at any cost. It was the only way Daphne was able to let him leave. Her lifetime of maintaining a strict illusion had come into use, as she put on a strong face and stood tall as he left, not wanting him to be worrying about her when he needed his wits about him.

She had no idea how long this would take. Malfoy had told them, under considerable duress, that the wards around Voldemort's current hiding spot prevented any kind of magical travel. They would have to walk the nearly mile from ward boundaries to house. Then the confrontation. And after all that, they would have to get out again. She knew that Harry could fly that distance relatively quickly, but she didn't think he would be in any condition to do so.

Daphne screamed as a faint pop announced the arrival of a portkey. She was running before they even landed. Harry was lying on the ground, Tonks crouching over him. Before she reached them, Tonks smiled weakly and collapsed across his chest.

Daphne sped up.

She fell to her knees by their side, gently rolling Tonks onto her back and off of Harry. Then Daphne didn't spare her a second glance. Her hands were on Harry, frantically making sure he was still alive. When she felt his weak pulse, she began to cry with relief. She vaguely recognised that her father was kneeling by her side while her mother was beside Tonks; her attention was now focused on kissing Harry. It had worked before to heal him, and she would make it work again.

Ignoring all inhibitions, she climbed bodily on top of him and cradled his head between her hands, and then pressed her lips forcefully to his. She maintained her post until he began to weakly respond. She pulled back, smiling through her tears, to see his green eyes blinking up at her.

"Harry!"

"Hello, love," he murmured.

She hugged him tightly. "You came back."

"Promised, didn't I?" She weakly swatted at his shoulder. "I did it, Daph. He's gone."

She pulled back. "Really gone?"

"Yeah."

A cough came from her side and she turned to see Tonks weakly pushing something into her hand. She pulled it up to see a small pebble. "What's this, Tonks?"

"Voldemort," she breathed.

Daphne smiled. "Thank you, Tonks." She looked up at her mom. "She'll be okay, right?"

"Yes, dear. Just a bit tired. I'll get her to Poppy Pomfrey right away, and she'll be perfectly fine in a bit."

"Thank you."

Daphne climbed off of Harry and, with the help of her father, got him on his feet. He was weak, but insisted on walking himself to the house. They helped him up the stairs, and he sunk gratefully into Daphne's bed. With a smile, Steffan left them alone. He knew that Daphne would take care of him.

Daphne smiled through her tears as the door shut. Harry grinned at her. "Just hold me, please."

She climbed into the bed and snuggled into his side. His hand came up and pulled at her clothes. "Off." He demanded. "Let me feel you."

They lay, naked and entwined, for over an hour, silent and happy.

* * *

The minute the floo flared and Cordelia Greengrass came through leading a disoriented Tonks, Minerva was transforming back. They guided the young Auror to a bed before pouncing on her.

"Did he do it?"

Tonks smiled. "It worked perfectly. I don't know what spell he used, but he had Voldemort screaming in agony and begging for death."

"And the body?"

"Transfigured into a pebble. Daphne has it. I figure anyone wanting to get to it would have to get through both her and Harry, so it is the safest place in the world."

Minerva chuckled. "Agreed. And Harry made it?"

"Yeah. Kid was exhausted; collapsed on me before I could get him all the way out. But he woke up almost as soon as Daphne started kissing him."

Cordelia smiled. "Yes, they are like that. She'll have him back to normal soon enough."

The three women looked at each other, smiles on their faces. "So, do we tell anyone?" Tonks asked.

"Not just yet," Minerva answered her. "Let Harry and Daphne tell it their way. Though I want to be there when Albus hears the news."

Tonks chuckled and Cordelia pursed her lips to hide her smile.

* * *

Daphne could tell when Harry's strength started to return to him, as his hands began kneading her breasts softly. She sighed and pushed into his hold. His head ducked down into her neck, and she was shocked to feel tears on her skin.

"Harry?"

His voice was muffled against her skin. "I killed someone today, Daphne. And he was completely defenceless. He was just lying there in pain on the floor and I took his head off. What kind of person am I that I could do that?"

She sighed. With a sharp push he was on his back and she had climbed over him. She was worried this would happen. His heart was so good and filled with love, he had trouble accepting the fact that he could carry out such an action. "You are the best and bravest man I know, Harry. You went in, risking your life, to defeat the worst Dark Lord in centuries. And you did it, not for yourself, but for me and all the other innocent people in this world that he wanted to hurt. You did it so that our children will grow up in a world where they don't have to look over their shoulders every day, expecting an attack. You did it so that young girls don't have to worry when they go to bed that they will be stolen away and raped. You did it so that no more children will have to grow up without a mother's love. And for that you are the very best of men."

"You don't... you don't think I'm a killer?"

"Never, love. You are a defender."

"And you... you still love me just the same."

"More. I love you more." She reached up to wipe the tears off his face. "Let me love you, and remind you why you did what you had to."

He let her take him, revelling in the love she offered and letting it heal him, and reminding him that she really was worth the fight.

It didn't take much to convince him.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stormed into the Hospital Wing, livid. While he had been aware that the younger Malfoy was in residence, he had only just been informed that Lucius had joined his son yesterday.

"Why was I not informed about this?" he demanded of Poppy.

She shrugged. "As Minerva brought him in, I assumed you knew. And there was not much to be done. The damage to both is irreversible and as it was the Potters who inflicted it, there were no legal issues to deal with. I have cared for them as best I can."

He glared at her, before turning to examine the two men. It was only then that he noticed that a third bed was occupied. "What is Nymphadora doing here?"

Poppy brushed past him carrying a potion. "She is suffering from a mild case of magical exhaustion. She will be perfectly fine in an hour or two."

"And what caused this?"

"I was not informed."

He huffed angrily before turning and stomping out of the room. Minerva had a lot to answer for.

* * *

Harry allowed Daphne to pick out his clothes and fuss over him, pretending to pout but secretly revelling in the attention. He loved it when she took care of him, and he secretly wondered if this is what she would be like as a mother. It was a pleasing prospect. He was wearing his green dress robes that he had purchased over the summer, and she was matching in a demure black dress with green threading that showed off her ribbon and flowed around her as she walked, entrancing him. On her wrist, embedded into the cuff she always wore, was a new small stone disk. Harry had woven spells around it to keep it there, locking it in place with his blood. The only way he felt comfortable getting rid of it was if he could throw it through the veil of death himself. Otherwise, Daphne would guard it. To him, it was the safest place in the world. With one final check over to make sure Harry looked good, she took his arm and allowed him to lead her down to where her parents were waiting by the floo.

Steffan had contacted Minister Bones that morning, expressing Harry's wish to meet with her today. The Minister had fallen over herself to accommodate him. Steffan had also hinted that they might want to have the press standing by.

After receiving a nod from Steffan, Harry stepped through the floo with Daphne in his arms. They emerged out into a crowded Atrium, and Harry had to wonder how many of the people here were waiting for him, and how much word of his arrival had spread. He moved quickly out of the way as Steffan and Cordelia came through.

"Harry."

He turned with a smile. "Tonks. You are looking well."

She grinned. "All fixed up. And you?"

"Daphne is an excellent nurse."

"I just bet she is." Tonks waggled her eyebrows. "You ready for this."

"Yes." He turned to offer Daphne his arm, and then bowed Tonks before him.

The five of them cut an imposing figure as they crossed the Atrium floor. Tonks led him past the security checkpoint, where Harry merely looked at the guard instead of passing over ring or wand. She showed them to a private elevator in the back that was strictly for the use of the Minster.

"Minister Bones is much fairer than Fudge was," she informed him as they stepped into the elevator and she entered a code to get it to move. "I think you'll like her, Harry."

He smiled. "Anyone would be better than Fudge. I don't even remember the change, though."

Daphne chuckled. "She was elected two days after your birthday, when you were rather preoccupied, love."

"Oh."

The elevator opened to reveal two Aurors. They nodded at Tonks, and eyed the rest of them carefully, but stayed away. Tonks walked forward to the young girl who was sitting behind a large desk. "Harry Potter and party here to see the Minister. She is expecting us."

The girl nodded and stood up to open the door. She stared at Harry as he passed, and Daphne scooted closer in reaction. His hand came up to cover hers on his arm. "Calm down, love."

She grinned up at him.

They stepped into the rather ornate office to see the stern looking witch that Harry had seen once before waiting for them. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass, Auror Tonks, do please come in and take a seat."

Harry bowed to her. "Minister Bones, thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice."

She smiled. "Mr. Potter, you will find that most anyone would rearrange their schedules for you."

He chuckled. "Yes. I do seem to have that affect on people."

"Perhaps more so given your recent transformation." She smiled at Daphne. "Allow me to offer congratulations on your successful bonding."

"Thank you, Minister," Daphne spoke quietly.

"Now, what can I help you with today?"

"Actually, Minister, it is us who can help you. I came to inform you that this morning, Auror Tonks and I were able to successfully defeat the wizard styling himself Lord Voldemort."

Harry had a hard time holding in his laughter at the expression of incredulous shock on the Minister's face. After several minutes of silence she blinked a few times before speaking.

"Excuse me; did you just say you defeated Voldemort? Again?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"But... how?"

"I prefer not to release all the details, but I will share much with you. Last weekend, we were able to learn that Lord Voldemort has not been himself recently."

"I had wondered, the lack of attacks."

"Indeed. It seems that our connection, which we have had since his first failed attempt to kill me, channelled some of my... ah, desire to him. However, his human body was unable to cope with the desire of a Siren. He became sexually obsessed, demanding that anyone and everyone help him with this or be killed."

Her eyes narrowed. "How did you discover this?"

"Professor McGonagall was told by the bloody and battered Narcissa Malfoy, who had been so used. It is my understanding that she is currently be cared for in a secure wing of Hogwarts for her protection."

"Oh, my." The Minister looked shocked and disgusted.

"Quite. We also learned that he had been demanding his Death Eaters acquire him a Veela, or several, believing they would be strong enough to stand up to his demands. On Friday, Daphne and I initiated a fight with Draco Malfoy, resulting in his need for the Hospital Wing." She cocked her brow at this, but said nothing. "His father stormed up to the castle on Saturday and walked right into our trap. He was the secret keeper for Voldemort's location, and we were able to... persuade him to tell us."

"Do I want to know how?"

"Probably not."

"I see."

"This morning, I assumed Lucius Malfoy's form and, together, Auror Tonks and I went to Voldemort. She took the form of a friend of ours, Fleur Delacour, who is part Veela. She was able to distract Voldemort from my presence long enough for me to launch my initial attack. This completely incapacitated him, allowing the mortal blow to be cast."

Minister Bones pursed her lips in thought. "First things first, what of the body?"

"It is... safe."

"Good. Keep it that way."

"If you would prefer, we have it with us. We could cast it through the veil."

"Perhaps, Mr. Potter. Now, I just signed into law the decree allowing anyone to kill Voldemort on sight, so we don't need to worry about any more spurious trials, not that you couldn't easily get out of such."

He smiled. "That is much appreciated, Minister."

"You mentioned that your initial attack was enough to take him down. How did you attack him?"

Harry hesitated, but Daphne gave a small nod of encouragement. "As I mentioned, we had a mental link. I used techniques from Occlumency to force the full amount of my love for Daphne into his mind. As my love is quite a bit stronger than any other mortal's, and Voldemort has shown signs in the past of being... ah, allergic to love, for all intents and purposes, it was enough."

"And you are sure he cannot come back?"

"I was deeply in his mind when he died. He had thoughts of how he was able to avoid death the first time. My presence prevented him from doing such again."

She sank back into her chair. "Well, I'm not going to claim I understand how that worked, but I am grateful nonetheless. I assume you wish some kind of public announcement made?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Would you prefer to make it yourself, or have me make it for you? And how much of your involvement will you want made public?"

Harry sighed and turned to Daphne. It was she who answered. "I have convinced my husband that it is better for him to work with the press than always fight it, so he will make the announcement himself, though he would like it if you were there by his side. He is not used to dealing with the press. As for what we will tell them, we think it best that he only say that he and Auror Tonks were able to trick the Dark Lord, and then take him out while he was distracted. If necessary, we can allude to some Siren powers being used."

"Very well. Why don't we go take care of that now, and take a small detour by way of the Department of Mysteries on our way?"

"Thank you, Minister."

Their entourage received quite a few curious looks and glares from the Unspeakables as they passed, but the Minister had clearance to go wherever she wished. One of the Unspeakables tried to waylay Harry and get him to answer some questions about his transformation, but was informed that now was most definitely not the time. When they got to the door of the Death Room, Harry drew to a sudden stop.

"Harry?" Daphne asked softly, concerned.

"I... I don't want to go in there."

She smiled softly at him. "You don't have to love. I can do it."

He blinked at her, amazed once again at the woman she was, that she would spare him this pain. "No. It is my responsibility." He placed a quick kiss to her lips before taking the first step into the room. If his walk was stiffer than normal, no one chose to comment. He helped Daphne down the stairs and up onto the dais. He gently took her wrist and pried the stone out of her cuff, then took a deep breath before chucking it through the veil. Then he turned abruptly and quickly left the room. He visited this place often enough in his nightmares, he didn't want to be here any longer.

Word seemed to have spread by the time they arrived in the Atrium. A large podium was set up, and the room was teeming with witches and wizards. Harry caught sight of Mr. Weasley there and offered a small bow in greeting as they were led to the front; the man stared back at him in shock. The crowd quieted as they walked past. Minister Bones stepped to the podium.

"Good afternoon. As you may have heard, earlier today Mr. Harry Potter came to me with important information regarding the war. He wishes to share some of this with you now, as it impacts all of us. Please hold all questions till the end."

She stepped back, and Harry took her place. "Hello." His face faltered for an instant until he looked over and met Daphne's encouraging smile. "Over sixteen years ago, just before I was born, a prophecy was given about the one individual that would be able to defeat the wizard Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Lord Voldemort." The room went deadly still. "It was this prophecy that led to the attack on my family on Halloween, 1981, as the prophecy seemed to indicate that wizard would be me. It was this prophecy that led to Voldemort kidnapping me during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament to try and kill me after he was reborn. It is this prophecy that Voldemort was after that night in June when I and several of my friends fought him in this very building." He paused and took a calming breath. "And it is this prophecy that was fulfilled this morning when I, with the assistance of Auror Tonks, was able to trick Voldemort into lowering his guard, allowing me to defeat him for good."

Pandemonium broke out in the Atrium. Harry held up a hand. "Please, calm down!" It took several minutes, but eventually their need for more information won out and the crowd quieted. "This morning, I destroyed Voldemort's mind, and a few minutes ago, I took the body of Voldemort and sent it through the Veil of Death here in the Ministry, thus ensuring that he cannot be brought back again. Many of his Death Eaters and followers are still at large, and I urge our courts to be careful when they are captured. Not again can we afford to let them off for their crimes. We cannot fall into complacency now that Voldemort is dead. It is our responsibility to ensure that no one else rises to try and take his place. Thank you."

Harry stepped back, and allowed Minister Bones to reclaim the podium. Her glare succeeded in keeping the crowd under control. Mostly. "I can imagine that most of us wish to celebrate this news and share it with our loved ones. But please remember the Statute of Secrecy and keep your celebrations... contained. Now, if you can maintain order, I will take questions."

"How was Mr. Potter able to defeat him?"

"That is classified. Suffice it to say Mr. Potter's recent transformation into a Siren was unexpectedly useful."

"How are you sure he cannot come back?"

"As it was Mr. Potter who witnessed his rebirth, you may assume he knows what he is talking about. In addition, Mr. Potter tells me he was able to block the method Voldemort intended to use as a safeguard against death. And I personally witnessed the destruction of his body. He is not coming back."

"How long has Mr. Potter known of the prophecy? And has he been training for this?"

Harry gave a harsh laugh. "I have known less than three months, and my only training was that which I provided for myself."

There was shocked silence in the hall.

"Who was it that heard the original prophecy?"

"It was given to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore."

"And he kept it to himself all these years? Is this why he hid you away with the Muggles?"

The Minister turned her gaze on the questioner. "Your guess is as good as mine. Albus Dumbledore keeps his own counsel about such things."

"How did you know your method would work this morning? Wasn't a little risky going in with only two of you?"

Harry gave a small smile. "We were disguised, and had very good information. As for the method itself, it was devised, based on my strengths, by my lovely mate Daphne. Thus all acclaim should go to her."

Daphne shot Harry a glare, which he returned with an impish grin.

"How did you meet Ms. Greengrass? And how did her parents accept your bonding?"

"Mr. Potter will not be answering questions of such a personal nature at this time."

"What does Ms. Greengrass think about your previous philandering ways? Is she accepting of all the previous women in your life?"

Harry growled and stepped up. His hand glowed red as it shot up and pulled the simpering woman forward. "Rita." He growled. He dropped her on the floor at his feet, and hit her with another red spell. "There will be no mention of my mate or any romantic relationship of any kind I may or may not have ever had from you, ever again."

"The people will get what they want to hear."

"Not from you, Rita. Just try." He turned to Minister Bones. "I'm done here."

She sighed. "Very well. That is all the questions we will answer at this time. As evidenced just now, I would be careful in how you portray Mr. Potter and his mate, as he has the means to enforce his displeasure. Remember, he is Siren Bound. Thank you for your time."

With that, she stepped back and the noise level in the hall shot up. The reporters rushed forward to surge around Harry and his companions. With another growl, he held up his hand and produced his red shield. He used this to escort Daphne and her parents to the nearest fireplace, and with a flash of green fire they all disappeared.

* * *

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was just starting to fill up when a dishevelled Arthur Weasley ran into the Hall, gasping for breath. Albus was instantly on his feet and moving towards the man, Minerva not far behind. She had a small smile on her face.

"Arthur! What's the matter?"

Arthur took a moment to gather his breath before speaking loudly enough to reach the entire room. "Harry Potter has defeated Voldemort!" The Hall fell silent.

"Arthur!" Albus was looking at him in completely shock, with a touch of anger.

"It's true! I was there when he and the Minister announced it. He says that he and Tonks went in this morning, disguised. They were able to distract Voldemort somehow for Harry to launch some kind of attack. The Minister alluded to it being Siren powers. They completely incapacitated him immediately. Then his body was thrown through the veil of death in the presence of the Minister."

Frantic whispers broke out across the room.

"Arthur! Perhaps this is not the best place."

"It will be all over the Prophet tomorrow, Albus."

Albus' brow furrowed. "Perhaps... I will investigate this and discover the truth. I would prefer the students not learn the information from the likes of Rita Skeeter."

Arthur snickered. "That won't be a problem. She said something about Daphne and Harry lost it. Cast some kind of spell on her, and said she wouldn't be able to print a word about either of them."

"Oh, my!" Minerva was unable to contain her reaction. She tried to hide her smile behind her hand.

Albus' eyes were going hard. "Perhaps we should adjourn to my office?" Arthur nodded and followed along meekly. Minerva and Severus followed. Once they were all in his office, he turned to Arthur. "Now, tell me exactly what happened."

"I was called into the office right after lunch. There was a rumour going around that Harry had requested an audience with the Minister and they wanted all Department Heads available. I wasn't there when he got there, but I was there when they came back up. He had Daphne with him, and her parents, as well as Tonks."

Albus' eyes shot to Minerva. She looked back at him with a calm expression. She had steadfastly refused to answer his questions all afternoon, and he was beginning to understand why. He was not pleased.

"The Minister announced that Harry and Tonks had taken out Voldemort, just how was kept confidential, though she did say his Siren powers came in handy. She said that he destroyed Voldemort's mind and then threw his body through the veil as she watched. She said that Harry was able to insure he didn't employ the same method as fifteen years ago to cheat death. Harry gave credit for the method they used to Daphne, and said they had excellent information before going in." Arthur hesitated before continuing. "He mentioned the prophecy, and that it said he was the one capable of defeating Voldemort. He said that you were the one who heard it and told him in June."

"What!"

"And he said that the only training he had received was that he supplied himself."

Albus stood suddenly, his face livid. He rounded on Minerva. Maybe she would answer his questions now. "Did you tell him?"

"Of course."

He gritted his teeth. "And Tonks this weekend?"

"She took the form of Fleur Delacour, thus providing a rather excellent distraction."

"How did Harry get in?"

"You know both Malfoy gentlemen are in the Hospital Wing. Harry and Daphne tricked Lucius into revealing Voldemort's hideout by attacking his son to draw him out, and then Harry took his form this morning."

Albus growled at her, shocking poor Arthur to the core. Minerva was unfazed. He turned to Severus.

"Can you confirm any of this?"

He shrugged. "The mark is gone. More than that, I do not know."

Albus rounded once more on Minerva. "You betrayed me! How could you? You are no longer welcome in my school!"

"You will find, Albus, that you cannot dismiss the Deputy Headmistress for reasons of a personal nature."

"You endangered the students of this school!"

"The only student I endangered was Mr. Potter, and he is beyond your control or interference. Do not make me bring this to the Board. Mr. Potter will fight at my side, I assure you."

Albus Dumbledore picked up a book from his desk and threw it, screaming, at the wall. Eyes wide, Arthur Weasley bolted. Minerva was more sedate in her retreat. As she shut the door behind her she smiled. Yes, she was glad she had witnessed that. She couldn't wait to tell Harry; he would find it hilarious. It wasn't often that one witnessed a hundred and fifty year old man throw a temper tantrum.

* * *

A/N: As previously stated, there is one more chapter to go. While it is completely outlined, there are many whole I need to fill. As I am also defending my dissertation, graduating, and finding a job, it will come when it will come and I make no promises. I will return to working on Elemental after it is posted.

I hope I answered people's concerns about Lucius. I see it that he bribed Fudge to get off before Fudge was kicked out of office (it is not an unreasonable assumption) and as Narcissa is hidden away and assumed dead, he was the only contact for when Draco was hurt.

There are obviously no Horcruxes. The way Voldemort didn't die originally was to take refuge in a snake he had brought with him. Harry blocked that this time. Next chapter there will be confrontations, but I'm still waffling on how to end things with certain people (various Weasleys, Dumbledore, etc.)


	9. Chapter 9

Daphne blinked awake slowly, her brain struggling to comprehend the loud voices that were flooding her bedroom. As the ceiling was coming into focus, her right hand shot out, searching for Harry. Her awareness increased sharply when she determined he was not there.

"...you not understand that? We must present a united front if we hope to prevent Voldemort's followers from uniting under a new leader. We must get past this childish disagreement, Harry."

"I will not become your poster boy, Headmaster. I defeated Voldemort without any assistance or input from you, and I refuse to pretend otherwise." Daphne smiled at Harry's voice. She turned her head to see him standing firmly in front of the door. His hand was up, ready to bar Dumbledore from the room if he should try to enter. Daphne wondered how the man had even managed to enter the house. She would have to have a word with her father.

"You are young, Harry, and naive about the ways of the world. You will need help navigating through all the intrigues that will try to snare you. Can you not see that you would be stronger with my help?"

Though she could not see his face, Daphne could just imagine that he was rolling his eyes at the old man's audacity. "With all due respect, sir, you have never provided me any help in the past, and I see no reason why it would be any different now. There are plenty of people that I trust to help me, and I will happily turn to them."

Daphne had to stifle her laugh at the look on Dumbledore's face. She didn't want to alert either of them to the fact that she was awake.

"Yes, and some of those friends concern me even more. I realise that you are tied to Daphne for life, but is it really necessary to be so trusting of her family and friends? You have alienated some of your oldest friends by doing this. You need your best friends strong around you right now, Harry, not those who would seek to exploit you for their own gain."

Daphne tamped down her own anger as Harry's back went stiff. "That is enough, Headmaster; you do not know whereof you speak. I would thank you to keep your manipulative fingers out of pots that are none of your concern. Steffan Greengrass has never tried to use me for his own gain, despite the fact that he knew very well I would have done most anything he might have asked. The friends I have made through my Daphne have done nothing but be my friends. And as for the friends I've lost, you must be mad. If someone cannot accept the one person who has given me true happiness for the first time in my life, then they are no friend of mine. You are asking me to make nice with a girl who tried to seduce me, naked I might add, in the hallway, a girl too stubborn to understand that I would never allow her to control my life, those who cannot understand or accept that something drastic has happened to me and things cannot continue to go on as if nothing has happened." Harry stopped and Daphne could see his shoulders heave as he pulled in breath.

Knowing that he was going to lost control soon, Daphne climbed quietly out of bed, idly wondering how she had come to be dressed, and walked to his side. She calmly took his hand in one of hers and snaked the other around his waist, slipping it under the hem of his shirt and onto his abdomen. She felt as he relaxed slightly under her touch.

"Do you not see?" He asked, calmer now. "This remarkable woman knows when I need her and is instantly there at my side. Daphne and I will decide, together, who we will allow to influence us and with her by my side I will navigate through whatever life may throw at me next. The best thing you can do for me is to let me, for the first time, live my own life." Harry's hand left hers and wrapped around her, pulling her close to him. "But if you are unable to do that, it will make no difference to me. I will live my life as I see fit, whether you let me or not."

"Harry, I really think..." As he was speaking, Dumbledore took a step forward.

Harry reacted instantly. His hand snapped up once more and a brilliant red shield erupted across the doorway. Daphne bit her cheek to keep from laughing at Dumbledore's expression as he bounced back into the hall.

Daphne stepped forward. "Good day, Professor," she said as she calmly shut the door in his face.

Harry chuckled as he drew her back into his embrace. His hands carefully searched over her body, assuring himself that she was really there. She suspected it would take him a very long time to get over the fear instilled over the last few days. But as she did not mind being in his arms, she did not consider this a hardship.

* * *

Knowing that they would soon be inundated with well-wishers, Harry took Daphne back to the house in Nice, France that night. He handed her a small slimy plant which she grimaced at but dutifully chewed. With a large grin on his face, he stripped her bare and pulled her into the warm ocean water. They sunk to the ocean floor, entwined and kissing furiously. He loved her feverishly fast against the sand before pulling her gleefully through the water. She stared around wide-eyed at the underwater wonderland. They found a glittering cave, and sunk into its depths, loving continuously. When her Gillyweed ran out, he simply fastened his mouth to hers and breathed for her.

It wasn't a hardship.

When the darkness became too much, he pulled her gently to the surface, and she stared around in awe at the moonlight on the water. Harry stared only at her, her skin glowing.

It was only then that Harry realised they weren't alone.

He had met the Merpeople that inhabited the lake at Hogwarts; the beings in front of him bore no resemblance to them whatsoever. Besides, of course, the large tail they had in place of legs. No, these were the beautiful Merpeople of legend. And they were staring at him in awe. After much gesturing and screeching, Daphne was handed a fresh amount of Gillyweed by one of the Merwomen and they both sunk back under the water. The education they received on the history of both the Merpeople and the Sirens surpassed any resource Harry had seen. Daphne began to plan for the book she would publish to contain this information. After all, between Harry, Fleur, and the Merpeople here she had access to the best sources.

She wondered what it would take to convince Harry to let her write about him.

* * *

_YOU-KNOW-WHO DEFEATED BY BOY-WHO-LIVED _

_By Simon Diggs_

_Yesterday afternoon, Harry Potter announced that he had permanently defeated the Dark Lord. It is unknown how exactly he accomplished this amazing feat, but he alluded to the use of his Siren powers. He also claims to have done so aided only by Ministry Auror and close personal friend Nymphadora Tonks. It is expected that they will both receive the Order of Merlin for their efforts._

_Mr. Potter also claims that there is no chance of You-Know-Who returning again, and the Minister herself claims to have watched as the body was thrown through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries. For those of our readers who are unaware of this artefact, it is one of the many mysteries studied in that department, and is said to be a one-way portal to the next life. There is no chance of coming back. Indeed, there are rumours that Sirius Black, Mr. Potter's recently exonerated godfather, perished by Veil this last June. _

_During his announcement, Mr. Potter revealed that his defeat of You-Know-Who was prophesied before he was even born, hence the 1981 attack that resulted in the deaths of his parents. He, himself, has only been aware of the prophecy for a handful of months. _

_We at the Prophet can only express our extreme thanks that our hero has once more defeated the great evil that threatened to take over the land._

_DUMBLEDORE, WHERE WAS HE?_

_By Clarice Tanner_

_Conspicuous in his absence at the momentous announcement yesterday was Headmaster and Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore. It had been assumed that the Headmaster was guiding our hero in his fight against evil, as they have always stood together in the past. However, new information is coming to light. It was revealed yesterday that it was in fact Dumbledore who withheld the information about the prophecy from Mr. Potter, and refused to provide any training or help to the young lad, despite knowing his destiny. Mr. Potter also alluded to the fact that the Headmaster was responsible for placing him among his Muggle relatives as a babe. As he was prophesied to save us all, wouldn't it have been more expedient to ensure he was trained and prepared from a young age? _

_We at the Prophet look forward to learning more about the relationship between these two great men._

_DON'T MESS WITH ME AND MINE, SAYS BOY-WHO-LIVED_

_By Laurelie Mangaman_

_It seems that Harry Potter will not back down from protecting his mate. From any perceived threat. Yesterday, after an allusion to certain damaging articles that might come out, Harry cast an unknown spell on a reporter, claiming that Daphne Potter would be left alone. The or else was strongly implied._

_It is this reporter's delight to reveal that the reporter in question this morning tried to publish a rather derogatory article about Mr. Potter and his past relationships, calling into question his choice of mate. I had the great fortune of being present when this article was presented to our editor. Suffice it to say the article was destroyed and the reporter in question will not be seen in public for some time. _

_Personally, I would question the wisdom of challenging Mr. Potter's protection of his mate. It seems he nearly single-handedly defeated a Dark Lord for her; there is nothing else I would put passed him. _

* * *

On Monday morning, Harry had to make use of his impenetrable shield to allow them to make their way to the Gryffindor table where Ron was saving them seats for breakfast. Once seated, Daphne's coaching was evident as Harry graciously accepted thanks with only a hint of embarrassment. Neville, Blaise and Ron took up posts around them, making it clear that no one was to approach without permission and that questions should be respectful and quick.

They both completely ignored the glares coming from Dumbledore. Of course, Harry knew that the old man would have to be confronted, and so was not surprised when Dumbledore approached them as breakfast was ending. The usually calm and grandfatherly persona was completely missing as Dumbledore glared at them.

"Mr. Potter, if you would come with me please?"

Harry turned around calmly. "What do you wish to discuss, Sir? Is my school work not acceptable?"

"I wish to discuss the events of yesterday."

Harry gave a tight smile. "My apologies, Headmaster. The Minister of Magic has declared the details of the defeat of Voldemort a state secret and required my oath that I would tell no one but my family. Was there anything else?"

It was that moment that Albus Dumbledore was completely marginalised. And no one but him seemed to care.

* * *

Dolores Umbridge stared in horror at the _thing_ in front of her that used to be the journalist Rita Skeeter. She had no idea how Potter had managed to do this to the woman. Rita was known for being impossible to intimidate and bully, for doing anything to get her story; if she had to make up a few details here and there, it didn't seem to faze her. And yet with one unknown spell Potter had managed to do so much damage to the woman she doubted if Skeeter would ever write a story again.

Dolores Umbridge was a shrewd woman. If she wanted to retain any of her natural beauty and charisma she would have to stay away from Potter. Both of them.

* * *

On Thursday afternoon, Daphne accompanied Tracey to the Slytherin common room as they discussed their project in Arithmancy. The two girls took their usual corner of the room, only stopping to exchange brief greetings with Astoria and Blaise as they arrived. It was an hour before dinner time when Ted Nott entered the room, a sneer on his face. With a nod to several people, the room exploded in flying spells. The younger years were cowering in corners and behind sofas, terror written on their faces as they watched. It was a small first-year girl, who was still reminiscing happily about getting to shake Harry's hand on Monday, who was brave enough to dash for the door, Daphne's screams ringing in her ears.

Nott looked up as the door shut behind her, scowling. With a flick of his wand a sickly green shield erupted across the door. Satisfied, he turned to the beautiful girl crumpled at his feet. He smiled with satisfaction as his wand came up. "I _will_ teach you proper pride."

The young girl was frantic as she ran through the halls, screaming for help. It was a worried Minerva McGonagall who first found her. "Heavens, child! What is wrong?"

The poor girl was sobbing by this time. "The mean sixth year, Ted, has Mrs. Potter and is hurting her. Please help!"

Minerva paled and immediately was transformed and running down the hall. She was much faster as a cat. However her speed was fruitless. When she reached the Slytherin dorm, she was able to open the door but unable to penetrate the strange shield covering the entire entrance. However, she could see into the room. Daphne was screaming as Nott held her under the Cruciatus. Sick with dread she sent a Patronus to Harry. Inside the room, a sneering Nott changed his target to a terrified Astoria. As she watched, Nott alternated between the two girls.

Harry arrived a scant 43 seconds later, wings unfurled as he had evidently flown through the corridors in his haste. With a nod to Minerva, he stepped confidently up to the shield. She watched in shock as his entire body glowed vibrant red, and he stepped clean through. Harry didn't even say a word, he simply lifted both hands and pushed. Nott and his five companions were bodily lifted into the air and thrown against the wall. Harry stalked forward, his emerald eyes fixed on Daphne. He quickly scooped her into his arms before turning to look at the others. With a flick of his wrist Tracey and Blaise came to, Blaise quickly on his feet.

Harry's gaze flicked to Astoria before meeting Blaise head on. "You will take care of her?"

Blaise nodded and Harry turned sharply. As he stepped back through the shield it collapsed around him. Minerva sighed in relief as he stopped in front of her.

"If you want Nott to live, he will be out of this castle within the hour."

Without waiting for a response, he was striding purposely to their rooms, Daphne still cradled in his arms. By the time they emerged the next morning the message had been sent to every occupant of the castle. Harry Potter could not be kept from his mate. As messages go, it was fairly effective.

* * *

Harry's nerves had been on edge for two weeks since the attack on Daphne, and his protectiveness had been extreme. The result was that it all came to an explosive head one Thursday afternoon when Daphne walked in on Astoria and Harry nearly screaming at each other. With a sigh, she pulled her wand and silenced them both, levelling them with a calm look when they both turned to glare at her.

"Now which one of you wants to explain to me what is going on?"

Harry waved his hand over himself before speaking. "Some little tosser was harassing her. All I did was stop him and she started screaming at me."

Daphne pursed her lips before turning to her sister and waving her wand. "Astoria?"

"He was _not_ harassing me. He was asking me on a date! And I like him!"

Daphne sighed. She was worried something like this would happen. "I'm very happy for you and I expect to hear all about it. Now, why don't you leave Harry to me?" Astoria beamed. "However, it might be prudent to remind him that Harry _will_ be watching out for you, and so he should behave... prudently."

Astoria rolled her eyes but gave a nod, then hurried out of the room. Then Daphne turned to her fuming husband. "Care to explain yourself?" She asked.

"You didn't see him," he hissed. "He was practically leering at her."

"I have no doubt. I had my fair share of the same." Harry growled. "But she has to learn to deal with it on her own. You cannot protect her from everything."

"Why not?"

"Because she will hate you for it. She needs to grow up, and so has to experience some of the dirty side of life."

"I... I don't know if I can do that."

"Well you had better figure it out, because I refuse to allow you to smother our children so much that they are unable to live. If you try and pull the same thing with them I'll remove your influence completely."

He recoiled in shock.

Her eyes softened a bit. "I love you, Harry Potter, but you need to get over this. Now, I suggest you go take your anger out on something that can't fight back."

"You'll... you'll be here when I get back?"

"Of course. Even when I think you're an idiot I'm still insanely in love with you, Potter."

He gave a weak smile, then turned and took off out the window. Behind him, she released a breath of relief. They had disagreed, about something important, and it hadn't torn them apart. She had lived in fear for weeks now that any disagreement they had would end as the last one. She didn't think the vision of Harry on the ground struggling for breath would ever leave her. It was comforting to know that her fears were groundless.

* * *

Harry was leaning casually against the wall outside the potions dungeon, waiting for Daphne. Hagrid had let them out early so he figured he would pick her up; he was still a little nervous leaving her alone with the Slytherins. The door slammed open and several harassed looking Ravenclaws rushed out, nearly breaking into a run. The Hufflepuffs were right behind them, followed by Hermione, the lone Gryffindor still taking Potions. She gave him a sad disappointed look but hurried quickly down the hall without speaking. Then the Slytherin students exited, Daphne wandering out last following behind Tracey and Blaise. As she stepped through the door and his eyes landed on her she stopped and looked up, grinning. She hurried and launched herself into his arms, their mouths meeting hungrily.

"Potter," a voice growled out behind her.

Harry pulled away from her and looked up to see Snape steps away, a pained expression on his face. "Professor."

"I... thank you."

Harry's eyes widened in shock, but he gave a nod of acknowledgement before Snape turned hastily back into his classroom. Severus Snape was always going to be a complete git, and he despised Harry Potter for the rest of his life, but some things are more important than personal opinions. He, better than anyone, knew exactly what Harry had done for the world.

Of course, he would never again admit it to anyone.

* * *

"So how much did you pay for her, Potter?"

Harry turned around slowly, eyes narrowed. "Boot. What are you talking about?"

"My father had been negotiating for Daphne for nearly five years, and you come in and steal her away. So how much did you pay for her?"

Harry growled softly. "Watch yourself Boot."

"I'm just curious. You landed the hottest girl in the school, and someone with more than several reasons to stay away from you. And I've seen how she is around you; she must be worth every penny. I just want to know how much I have to fork out to have a chance at her sister. I'm sure more than looks run in the family."

When the school came down for breakfast the next morning, everyone was snickering about the new rumours. No one was sure how, but Terry Book had shown up in the hospital wing claiming acute pain in his male parts. His screams as Madam Pomfrey attempted to heal him were heard several floors away.

* * *

Harry and Daphne were sitting side by side in the library, working on separate essays, when a throat cleared quietly behind them. Harry tensed slightly before turning his head.

"Harry... Daphne." Ginny spoke quietly as she twisted her hands nervously in front of her.

"Ginny," Harry nodded his greeting. The youngest Weasley had been largely absent since their confrontation on the train, for which Harry was grateful. "Did you need something?"

"I was doing some reading, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions?"

Harry turned to look at Daphne. She smiled gently and nodded slightly, so he turned back to Ginny. "Sure." He gestured to the seat across from them and she sat down.

"What was it like when..."

* * *

Graduation was a quiet affair for the two Potters. They both had their plans firmly in place already and leaving Hogwarts was more a formality at this point. They had sat down throughout the year and outlined the things that would need to change in order to prevent another Dark Lord from rising. However, neither of them wanted to be the figurehead for the movement. It was against Daphne's nature and made Harry extremely uncomfortable, so they had looked elsewhere, and were surprised by the individual they had chosen.

Next week Neville Longbottom, the Longbottom of Longbottom, began his career as the spokesperson for the Sothis Foundation. (A/N: Sothis is the Greek name for the star Sirius.) Ron Weasley had happily signed on as a strategist for the foundation, and Harry had placed the entire Black fortune at its disposal.

Sothis was going after the creature restriction laws first. Harry's popularity was at an all time high, and they thought it was the perfect time to strike. But Ron was planning several other campaigns if that was successful. Their long-term goal was to remove all the festering parts of society that had allowed Voldemort to flourish.

* * *

The last train ride was uneventful. They spent most of the time in a large compartment with their friends, only sneaking away to the luggage car once. But when Harry stepped onto the platform he was instantly greeted by the smiling face of Molly Weasley. Releasing a long suffering sigh, he gave a brief smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley."

"Harry, dear. It's so wonderful to see you! We missed seeing you at Christmas this year."

"That's very kind of you to say. Unfortunately, I had other family obligations this year."

She pursed her lips briefly before plastering a smile on her face. "Of course. I know how important family is to you. I actually wondered if I might discuss something with you."

Harry shrugged, but nonetheless followed her as she headed towards a disserted corner of the platform. When she turned back around to look at him it was with a positively feral look.

"You're Daphne really is a lovely girl, Harry." He chose to ignore the revulsion that momentarily showed in her eyes.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. I love her dearly."

"Of course, dear. I hope she can provide you with the family you have always wanted."

"I have no doubt she will."

"And if you, perhaps, wanted more... well, with you and Daphne bound instead of formally married we would love for you to marry our Ginny. Between the two of them you could have as many children as you wished."

Harry's expression froze on his face. He shut his eyes briefly before fixing the Weasley matriarch with a harsh stare. "Mrs. Weasley, I'm sure you meant well with your offer, but I must refuse."

"But... why? Wouldn't having both of them help you better control your... urges?"

"Regardless, my Bond with Daphne is based on my fidelity. If I were with another it would break the bond." He ignored the happy gleam that came into the woman's eyes. "Of course, my very life force is bound up in that bond, so if it breaks I would die." Her expression fell. "So, you see, I really will never even think about another." Without waiting for a reply he turned sharply and strode away.

* * *

June 21, 1998

On a deserted moor deep in the heart of Wales a small group of people were gathered for the event of the century. Of course, no one but those invited would find out it was taking place until afterwards. This was a security measure put in place so that the press and Ministry would stay away, as well as the less savoury elements of society.

On the morning of June 22nd, several people passing by would report hearing a scream of pure outrage coming from the Daily Prophet building.

Harry stared down the long aisle between the guests. The setting sun was shining brightly, perfectly illuminating his bride as she walked slowly towards him. His breath caught in his chest, and he blinked his eyes furiously to reign in his emotion. In that moment, he knew that he was without a doubt the luckiest man in the world.

* * *

March 12, 1999

_BILL OF RIGHTS PASSES WITH CLOSEST VOTE IN A CENTURY_

_By Simon Diggs_

_The Sothis foundation celebrated its first successful campaign today with the passing of the so-called Creature and Being Bill of Rights. The bill gives basic rights that have long been denied to various sentient creatures such as Sirens, Veelas, Centaurs, Werewolves, House Elves, Merpeople, and even Ghosts. The movement was spearheaded by Neville Longbottom, though Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley often were found on the forefront of the campaign. _

_We at the Prophet wonder what else our Hero and his friends have in store for our society._

* * *

November 1, 1999

A lone figure appeared out of thin air on the darkened corner of Privet Drive. Moving completely silently, it made its way to the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and with barely a pause stepped inside.

It was two days before the authorities were called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the three Dursleys. Strangely, there was nothing to be found: no evidence of their presence or of any foul play. The smallest child of Number Seven remembered seeing a pretty girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes early in the morning when he came down for some milk. No one else saw a thing.

After a year, the house was impounded and sold at auction. No one had seen the Dursleys and, quite frankly, no one cared.

* * *

July 23, 2001

It took precisely three seconds after Daphne's first labour pains began for Harry to find a way to relieve most of her suffering. He used the same method he had successfully pioneered with Bill Weasley nearly three years ago to transfer some of his own powers to his wife, and, as delivering a child was most definitely a labour of love, the Siren magic he gave her immediately took care of most of the pain.

Daphne later told him that it was only this that got her to agree to having any more children.

In deference to this, Harry had talked Daphne into naming the baby after Bill, as without him they would have never figured out how to share the power. Of course, it had originally been for a completely different reason. After defeating Voldemort, Harry had tackled something that he thought was vastly more important: helping out the eldest Weasley with his rather unconventional relationship issues. After a good deal of experimentation, it turned out that Harry's blood, given in love and friendship with an oath thrown in for good measure, was sufficient to share a small portion of Harry's abilities. It had been an ecstatic Bill that had returned three days later and nearly squeezed the life out of Harry while thanking him for helping Bill to finally be enough for the woman he loved.

Harry discretely offered his services to any other members of Fleur's family, provided they would make an Unbreakable Vow of secrecy.

* * *

July 10, 2021

Daphne Potter was firmly convinced it was her husband's magic that had kept her from getting pregnant except for between the 1st and 31st of October. Every single one of their five children had thus been born during the month of July. As she watched her husband pacing up and down the corridor outside of their eldest daughter's room, she decided it was most definitely a good thing, for Harry Potter would have gone insane if he had to endure the transformation of one of his children during the school year. This way, she knew, he could safely hide them away from the world for several weeks, making sure they were prepared before they went out and faced their heritage.

Either that or he was just scared to death to let them bond.

In either case, it was with an absurd amount of relief that Harry discovered that their eldest son Bill had _not _turned into a Siren on his seventeenth birthday. This had meant that Harry had an additional three years before he had to worry again. Of course, their next child was a girl and so it was inevitable that she would be Siren. Daphne idly wondered if Harry would let Lily out of the house in the next decade.

The point turned out to be moot when they received a Floo call two weeks later. Fleur Weasley had asked her eldest son, Francoise affectionately known as Frank, if he would call over and ask if she could borrow a book from Daphne. Harry and Frank were locked in Harry's study for three hours before Harry let the handsome young man leave with his daughter. Daphne simply smiled and idly wondered what the mix of Siren and Veela blood would do to her grandchildren.

* * *

April 7, 2153

Julie Potter Longbottom stood with tears streaming down her face as they lowered the casket into the ground. It was only three days ago they had buried her grandmother, and the whole family had known that Harry Potter would not long survive his wife. Indeed, he lived just long enough to see each member of his large family and set his affairs in order, and then died with a smile on his face.

Some questioned how he had even lasted that long.

* * *

A/N: It's over! And no, there will not be any more of this story. It is now my intention to get back to Elemental, and occasionally work on my new stories that I haven't posted yet. As I have finally (!) graduated I should have plenty of time this summer before starting my new job.

I hope you're all satisfied that we fixed Bill's problem. I didn't like it, but I was using it as a foil for Harry and needed it.

I hope you enjoyed this, even with its faults. Have a wonderful summer!


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